IGF 2015

Every day we witness how the Internet is enabling economic opportunity, innovation, exchange of knowledge, and economic and societal inclusion. The evolution of the Internet has facilitated development of a “digital ecosystem,” enabling the creation of a new, jobs-creating products and services as well as opportunities for innovation that have improved the quality of life in countless global communities. 

Access to technology and Internet-enabled innovation depends on stakeholder opportunities to invest and compete, sufficient infrastructure, and cross-border flows of data and information. These essential elements have been challenged of late by some government measures that aim to promote domestic industry and innovation, but effectively limit the globalized nature of the digital ecosystem. A key question with respect to Internet governance, therefore, is the need to identify policies and practices that either open opportunities for economic and social development for all through trade or act as barriers to their fruition. Building user trust in technology also is essential, requiring improved procedures aimed at optimizing the benefits of data flows and security/privacy concerns.

This Roundtable workshop will call upon speakers to examine these opportunities and challenges. They will draw on case studies and important work by the OECD on data driven innovation and the Internet Policy Principles. The goal will be to develop a core set of best practices in Internet governance to enable all participants to tap the potential of the digital ecosystem to realize sustainable development.