Often defined as intentional partial or total disruptions of the internet or electronic communications, internet shutdowns are exploited by regimes to suppress dissent or impede communications during times of unrest. While the non-financial cost is measured in terms of human rights violations and obstruction of democratic processes and political stability, internet restrictions also cause a [...]
The last couple of weeks have been busy with summit diplomacy. Areas of cooperation span from public health to economic recovery.The round of summits began with the meeting of G7. From a digital perspective, at the Group of Seven meeting, leaders reiterated that digital transformation plays an important role in increasing productivity, creating new decent [...]
The age of digitalisation requires innovation and change. Diplomacy and foreign policy are adapting and evolving to accommodate these new realities. Taking into consideration the emergence of foreign policy strategies dedicated to digital issues, 2021 promises to be the year where we will see digital foreign policy emerge fully. While some countries included digital issues [...]
#IGF2020: From Internet to digital governance? In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 15th IGF meeting was convened completely online. With over 250 sessions, this year’s conference was dedicated to 4 thematic tracks: Data, Environment, Inclusion, and Trust, that, in addition to addressing some of the most pressing digital policy issues, also explored the interplay [...]
Hybrid meetings: Walking the line between onsite and onlineAs communities enter the ‘new normal’ and develop strategies for economic recovery and how to build back better, questions about business continuity, and ultimately meetings, are coming into sharp focus.As holding onsite-only meetings remains challenging, the in-betweens will gain more ground. To illustrate with the most [...]
COVID-19: Will conference diplomacy shift online? In response to the ban on gatherings as a result of COVID-19, the ICANN67 Public Meeting, the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and several other tech summits have been moved to the virtual space. Even though factors including climate change, travel costs, [...]