High Level Group on Internet Governance (HLIG) meeting 2019
Consolidated programme 2019 overview
The High Level Group on Internet Governance (HLIG) acts as a platform through which the European Commission, EU Member States and the multistakeholder community exchange information and views on a wide range of issues related to Internet governance. Over time, the agenda covered and covers issues (a.o.) ICANN, post-WSIS follow-up, IGF, EuroDIG, .EU, Internet Jurisdiction Project,
Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace.
The HLIG has proven useful for getting input in an early stage about policy development, facilitating Member States to speak with "one voice" on Internet Governance developments, and guiding the Commission in developing European priorities for Internet Governance.
The HLIG is held two or three times a year and consists of two consecutive half day sessions held on one day:
- an open session functioning as an informal multistakeholder gathering for dialogue about Internet Governance issues.
- a closed session for member states only plus the Commission to facilitate a free exchange of views on Internet Governance developments and policy-making.
History
The HLIG was initiated by the Commissioner in 2003 to prepare for the UN summit WSIS (World Summit on Information Society) held in 2005. Hereafter the HLIG continued to serve as a useful platform to shape in an early phase the European input concerning the transition of ICANN into an organisation independent from the US administration.
In 2012 the HLIG mandate was reconfirmed as a non-decision-making body for sharing information and good practices, soft coordination and preliminary discussions facilitating identification of common positions in international fora related to Internet Governance.
In 2016 the HLIG was expanded with a section in the agenda open to the multistakeholder community and Internet Governance organisations in order to have a more structured dialogue between the community, the Commission and Member States on Internet Governance issues.