Promoting and Assessing Internet Universality ROAM Principles and indicators in Europe and beyond – Pre 06 2021

28 June 2021 | 15:15-16:15 CEST | Studio Belgrade | and 17:00-18:00 (continuation) CEST | Studio Belgrade |
Consolidated programme 2021 overview / Day 0

If you want to contribute to this session please contact the session organiser.

Session teaser

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of the importance of the Internet as a window to education, access to information, health, culture and countless other aspects of daily life and the high pertinence of promoting Internet Universality ROAM principles (Rights, Open, Accessible to all, and Multistakeholder participation) to shape the global digital transformation.

Session description

UNESCO has been working with global stakeholders including EuroDIG community to advocate and implement national assessments of Internet Universality indicators (IUIs).  The national assessments are progressing in 21 countries, including Germany, France and Serbia in Europe.   At the national level, these indicators aim to assess achievement and gaps of Internet development and policies via an inclusive multi-stakeholder methodology. The national assessment process proves to be a holistic approach for individual countries to operationalize the ROAM principles and to achieve evidence-based policy reform and improvement and serves an evidence-based approach to facilitate digital collaboration at regional and global levels.

Thus, UNESCO seeks to engage further with EuroDIG and European stakeholders to advance Internet Universality and promote the voluntary national assessments of Internet Universality Indicators to more countries.     Objectives: 

1. To discuss the relevance of the Internet Universality ROAM principles and Indicators to inform global response of Covid-19 and shape global digital transformation including in Europe.
2. To share European perspectives and showcase national assessment initiatives, as well as debate the policy recommendations and how to foster Internet policy reforms in Europe.
3. To exchange the good practice and lessons learned in the implementation process of the national assessments and having more countries to assess the IUIs.
4. To discuss how to make best use of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Internet Universality ROAM-X indicators, how to engage further the EuroDIG community and European stakeholders in the Dynamic Coalition and raise interest from more countries and stakeholders to conduct voluntary assessment of Internet Universality Indicators.

Format

This event will be divided in two sessions: the first session (15:15 - 16:15 CEST) will be dedicated to discussing the implementation of the IUIs through the national assessment with national leading experts from Europe and beyond. Then, the second session (17:00 - 18:00 CEST) will focus on how the Dynamic Coalition of IUIs can contribute to advancing and shaping Internet governance in Europe. Each speaker will be allocated 5 minutes.

Further reading

Links to relevant websites, declarations, books, documents. Please note we cannot offer web space, so only links to external resources are possible. Example for an external link: Main page of EuroDIG

People

Focal points:

• Xianhong Hu, UNESCO Programme Specialist and Focal point of the IUIs project
• Karen Landa, Consultant, UNESCO

Moderator:

• Xianhong Hu, UNESCO Programme Specialist and Focal point of the IUIs project

Rapporteur:

• Karen Landa, Consultant, UNESCO

Tentative Agenda

Assessing Internet Universality ROAM Principles in Europe and launching UNESCO’s report on fostering transparency of Internet companies.

(Session 1: 15h15 – 16h15 (CEST))

• Opening (10’)
  • Opening remarks by Guy Berger, Director of Policies & Strategies in the field of Communication and Information, UNESCO (5’)
  • General presentation of the Internet Universality project by Xianhong Hu, Programme Specialist, UNESCO (5’)
     
• Presentation of national initiatives and perspectives (25’)
  • Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann, Head of Research Program, Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut - Germany   (5’) 
  • Lucien Castex, Researcher, Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle  - France (5’)
  • Miroslav Jankovic, National ICT Officer, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - Serbia (5’)
  • Tomasz Komorowski - Project Coordinator, Polish National Commission for UNESCO (5’)
  • Dr. Bissera Zankova – President, “Media 21” Foundation - Bulgaria (5’)
     
  • Key topics:
    • Discuss the relevance of the Internet Universality ROAM principles and Indicators to inform global response of Covid-19 and shape global digital transformation including in Europe.
    • Share European perspectives and showcase national assessment initiatives, as well as debate the policy recommendations and how to foster Internet policy reforms in Europe.
    • Exchange the good practice and lessons learned in the implementation process of the national assessments and having more countries to assess the IUIs.
       
• Launch of the UNESCO report: “Letting the sun shine in: transparency and accountability in the digital age” (15’)
  • Presented by Andrew Puddephatt, Former Director of Global Partners Digital and Guilherme Canela Godoi, UNESCO Chief of the Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists section
     
  • Key questions:
    • How would greater transparency by internet companies contribute to achieving a human Rights-based, Open, Accessible and multi-stakeholder digital ecosystem?
    • What elements of the ROAM principles could be applied into an operational framework for transparency?
    • What lessons could be learned from the development and application of the IUIs that could inform the development of indicators on transparency?
       
• Q&A and closing remarks (10’)

Dynamic Coalition of Internet Universality Indicators

(Session 2: 17:00 – 18:00 (CEST))

• Opening (10’)
  • Opening remarks by Marielza Oliveira, Director for Partnership and Operational Programme Monitoring, UNESCO (5’)
  • General presentation of the Internet Universality project and Dynamic Coalition by Xianhong Hu, Programme Specialist, UNESCO (5’)
     
• Statements of DC partners and stakeholders (25’)
  • Anriette Esterhuysen - Chair, United Nations Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group (5’)
  • Constance Bommelaer - Area Vice President Institutional Relations, Internet Society (5’)
  • Alexandre Barbosa, Head of the Center of Studies for Information and Communications Technologies (CETIC.br) - Brazil (5’)
  • Andreas Salz - Programme Specialist Communication and Information, German Commission for UNESCO expert (5’)
  • Dorothy Gordon - Chair of Information for All Programme (5’)
     
  • Key questions:
    • How can we make best use of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Internet Universality ROAM-X indicators?
    • How can UNESCO engage further with the EuroDIG community and European stakeholders in the Dynamic Coalition and raise interest from more countries and stakeholders to conduct voluntary assessment of Internet Universality Indicators?
       
• Q&A and closing remarks (25’)

Video records

15:15 CEST: https://youtu.be/0UO5emFG4kU?t=19030s
17:00 CEST: https://youtu.be/0UO5emFG4kU?t=25247s