[Air-L] WEBCAST JUN 22- CITI Governance – Function Follows Form: The Proposed UN Digital Cooperation Forum

[Joly MacFie]

This has just kicked off. REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/44hazU3


[image: isoc live] <http://isoc.live/16659>On *Thursday June 22 2023*
at *11:00-12:30
EDT* (15:00-16:30 UTC) the *Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
<http://%3Ciframe%20id%3D%22ls_embed_1687444376%22%20src%3D%22https//livestream.com/accounts/686369/events/10889926/player?width=600&height=338&enableInfoAndActivity=true&defaultDrawer=&autoPlay=false&mute=false%22%20width=%22600%22%20height=%22338%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%20%3C/iframe%3E>*,
as part of its *Global Digital Governance* series, presents a webinar
'*Function
Follows Form: The Proposed UN Digital Cooperation Forum
<https://citifunctionfollowsform.eventbrite.com/>*'.

On June 5, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented a *policy brief
<https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/116/76/PDF/N2311676.pdf> *on
his *Global Digital Compact
<https://www.un.org/techenvoy/global-digital-compact>* initiative to the
General Assembly. Among the brief’s ideas is a proposal to create an
annual *Digital
Cooperation Forum* (DCF). This new UN forum would not be a negotiation
body, but would instead foster action-oriented dialogue and analysis
concerning international cooperation on digital policy issues. A proposal
like this has been anticipated since the SG’s High-level Panel on Digital
Cooperation issued its report in 2019. The case for a DCF is being
championed in particular by the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology.
The proposal has yet to garner support but will be discussed by a
ministerial meeting in September 2023 that is to help prepare the
groundwork for the UN’s *2024 Summit of the Future
<https://www.un.org/en/common-agenda/summit-of-the-future>*.

The policy brief states that the DCF would coexist with existing bodies and
processes like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in an integrated hub and
spoke system. However, aside from its presumably broader scope, in many
respects the DCF appears to duplicate the IGF. Given that the IGF has long
faced challenges from those governments that are unhappy with its
multistakeholder character, the existence of a comparatively
intergovernmental DFC could complicate the renewal of the IGF’s mandate at
the 2025 WSIS+20 review. In addition, there are a number of other issues
raised by proposing a new forum without specifying its substantive focus
and institutional modalities or assessing the demand for one. The
experiences over the past twenty years with failed proposals to create new
institutions for global Internet and digital governance merits
consideration in this context.

An inclusive dialogue is needed to determine whether the DCF vision can
overcomes the potential barriers to its realization or at least contribute
to strengthening international cooperation in other settings. To help with
that task, this webinar assembles a panel of expert participants in the
debate about the United Nations’ role in global digital cooperation and
governance. The group will assess the driving issues and interests,
potential negotiation dynamics and outcomes, and larger digital governance
implications of the DCF proposal.

*INTRODUCTION*
*Eli Noam*, Paul Garrett Professor, Emeritus / Director, Columbia Institute
for Tele-Information

*PANEL*
*Fiona M. Alexander*, Distinguished Policy Strategist in Residence, School
of International Service / Distinguished Fellow, Internet Governance Lab,
American University
*Anriette Esterhuysen*, Senior Advisor for Internet Governance, Association
for Progressive Communications (APC)
*Nigel Hickson*, Internet Governance, United Kingdom’s Department for
Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

*MODERATOR*
*William J. Drake*, Director of International Studies at the Columbia
Institute for Tele-Information

*LIVESTREAM http://livestream.com/internetsociety3/citi-dcf
<http://livestream.com/internetsociety3/citi-dcf>*

*PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/46gCrta <https://bit.ly/46gCrta>*

*REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/44hazU3 <https://bit.ly/44hazU3>*

*TWITTER #DigitalCooperation <https://bit.ly/3eWyxvw> @Elinoam @wjdrake
@Columbia_Biz @fionamalexander @InternetGov Anriette Esterhuysen @APC_News
@njhickson @UNTechEnvoy*

*MASTODON  #DigitalCooperation
<https://mastodon.social/tags/DigitalCooperation>*

*SIMULCASTS*
*https://www.twitter.com/ISOC_Live/ <https://www.twitter.com/ISOC_Live/>*
*https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/> *(AI
Captions)

*ARCHIVE*
*https://archive.org/details/citi-dcf
<https://archive.org/details/citi-dcf>*
*Permalink https://isoc.live/16659/ <https://isoc.live/16659/>*


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Joly MacFie  +12185659365
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