FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions of the South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG)

What is SEEDIG?

SEEDIG stands for “South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance” and it is a framework for open, inclusive and informal dialogue on Internet governance issues between stakeholders from South Eastern Europe and the neighbouring area.

What is the purpose of SEEDIG?

SEEDIG is aimed to:

  • raise awareness and promote a better understanding of Internet governance among stakeholders from South Eastern Europe and the neighbouring area;
  • build or strengthen the capacity of these stakeholders to actively participate in national, regional and international Internet governance processes;
  • facilitate multistakeholder discussions and exchanges on Internet-related challenges and emerging issues that are particularly relevant to the region.

Who is SEEDIG for?

SEEDIG welcomes individuals and entities from all stakeholder groups (governments, intergovernmental organisations, civil society, private sector, technical community), particularly from, but not limited to, countries in South Eastern Europe and the neighbouring area.

Who organises SEEDIG and how?

SEEDIG’s first edition is organised by a group of stakeholders from the region, with the cooperation of the EuroDIG Secretariat, the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, and UNICART. The group currently comprises around 50 members and it works mainly via a dedicated mailing list and virtual meetings. Coordination is done by a smaller committee composed of:

  • Iliya Bazlyankov, UNICART, Bulgaria (private sector)
  • Lianna Galstyan, ISOC Armenia (civil society)
  • Aida Mahmutovic, Oneworld - Platform for Southeast Europe Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina (civil society)
  • Dusan Stojicevic, RNIDS, Serbia (technical community)
  • Sorina Teleanu, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of Romania (government)

Details about the preparatory process and summaries of the planning meetings are available on this page: South_Eastern_European_Dialogue_(SEEDIG)

Can I participate in the preparatory process?

Yes. Any interested stakeholder is welcome to participate in the SEEDIG preparatory process. Please express your interest by sending us an email at see@intgovforum.org, and we will be happy to give you more details.

What issues will be discussed at SEEDIG?

SEEDIG is aimed to be both a capacity-building event, as well as a space for discussions on Internet governance issues that are particularly relevant for the region. As such, under the overarching theme of “Multistakeholder Internet governance: from the global debates to South Eastern European realities”, SEEDIG’s programme is structured into four sessions:

  • Introduction to Internet governance – What is Internet governance and why should I care? : explaining Internet governance (definition, key principles, etc.); presenting several Internet governance organisations and processes (IGF, ICANN, ISOC, etc); discussions on: how Internet governance is perceived by stakeholders in the region? why is Internet governance relevant for them? how and why to get involved in IG processes and organisations?
  • Multistakeholder Internet governance mechanisms/approaches at national level: sharing of best practices in the region (ccTLD registries, national IGF initiatives, other multistakeholder initiatives); dialogue on whether and how multistakeholder Internet governance mechanisms can be implemented at national level.
  • Human rights for Internet users: theoretical approaches vs realities in the region: brief presentation of the Council of Europe’s “Guide to Human Rights for Internet Users”; discussions on realities and challenges in the region when it comes to implementing and respecting human rights for Internet users (e.g. privacy, protection of personal data, freedom of expression, access to information, etc.).
  • The domain name space in South Eastern Europe – the case of IDNs: introduction to domain names: DNS, gTLDs, ccTLDs, roles and responsibilities in the management of domain names (ICANN, registries, registrars, etc.); explaining what IDNs are; sharing of experiences from IDNs already delegated or in the process of being delegated; dialogue on the relevance of IDNs for the region, challenges in using IDNs, etc.

More details on the SEEDIG sessions are available on the EuroDIG wiki: www.eurodigwiki.org

Where and when will SEEDIG be held?

SEEDIG is organised as a pre-event to EuroDIG (European Dialogue on Internet Governance). It is scheduled to take place on 3 June, in Sofia, Bulgaria, at Kempinski Hotel Zografski.

How can I register for SEEDIG?

Registration for SEEDIG and EuroDIG is done via the same form, available here: http://www.eurodig.org/registration-form/ Please make sure you indicate you plan to participate in the SEEDIG, when filling in your registration form.

Is there a fee for attending SEEDIG?

No. Attending the event is free of charge.

Are there opportunities for remote participation?

Yes, remote participation is an integral part of SEEDIG. All those who cannot travel to Sofia are welcome to follow the discussions remotely. All sessions will be webstreamed and remote participation will be available via Webex. Details will be announced in due time.

What is the relation between SEEDIG, EuroDIG and the IGF?

SEEDIG can be seen as a regional IGF initiative. As other IGF initiatives, SEEDIG promotes open and inclusive discussions on locally relevant Internet governance issues, and it is intended to contribute to making the voices of SEE stakeholders heard in other Internet governance processes.

In this context, the aim is for SEEDIG to feed into both EuroDIG and into the IGF. The results of the one day discussions are to be conveyed to the EuroDIG and the IGF, in the form of key messages and session reports.

What will SEEDIG result in?

Like the EuroDIG and the IGF, SEEDIG is not a decision making forum. It is a space for open and inclusive discussions among all interested stakeholders. These discussions, can, in turn, inform the decision making process within various entities or organisations that deal with various Internet governance issues (governmental agencies, national parliaments, private companies, regional organisations, etc.).

All SEEDIG sessions will be summarised in short reports that will be made publicly available and conveyed to EuroDIG and the IGF. The process for preparing these reports is the following: Each session would have a rapporteur who will be responsible for taking notes during the session and preparing, in an objective manner, 3-5 bullet points representing the key messages resulting from the debates. The rapporteur would present these bullet points at the end of the session, asking for agreement or disagreement (NOT a debate, just a “yes” or a “no”) from the audience. Those bullet points accepted by the audience will make it into the more elaborated summaries/reports (but not longer than half of page). These summaries/reports would then be presented in the concluding session of the event and compiled into a document to be conveyed to the EuroDIG and the IGF.

Whom do I contact for more information?

You can contact the SEEDIG organising committee at: see@intgovforum.org