i2Coaltion to Represent the Internet Infrastructure Industry at Internet Governance Forum – USA (IGF-USA) in July

At a time when leadership in Internet governance seems to be at an all-time high, thought leaders from civil society, industry, academia, and government will gather in Washington D.C. for the Internet Governance Forum USA (IGF-USA) on Thursday, July 25th, to examine issues and cultivate constructive discussions about the future of the Internet. It will be held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The Internet Governance Forum was established by the UN as part of the World Summit on the Information Society in 2006. Since then, it has become a leading global multi-stakeholder forum on public policy issues related to Internet governance. Discussions at IGF-USA help shape the international agenda around Internet governance.

The Internet Governance Forum USA (IGF-USA) is a domestic forum in the US, which is among several regional and national IGF meetings taking place across the globe including gatherings in East Africa, Europe (EuroDig), Latin America, the Caribbean, West Africa, Spain and Italy.

Melinda Clem, Vice President of Strategy for Afilias, was recently elected IGF-USA Co-Chair in addition to an already impressive list of titles. Earlier this year, she was elected to take over as i2Coalition Board Chair in 2020.

In a blog post, Clem wrote, “Nearly every US entity is impacted by the internet, and IGF-USA is a place to advocate and participate in shaping its governance.”

The IGF-USA agenda will cover application, communications and infrastructure layers of the internet, and all types of actors and users. Clem noted that the IGF-USA 2019 agenda places an emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness, as well as the unique role America plays in the global dynamics of internet governance.

Some of the extremely relevant topics that will be heard at IGF-USA include:

• Which national privacy strategy should the US adopt?
• Is the Techlash justified?
• If big is bad, is big tech even badder?
• Cyber safety and resiliency at the internet infrastructure layer
• Diverging paths for platform liability – the impact of Section 230 and the choice for America’s digital future
• Innovative Solutions for Digital Inclusion
• 5G Enabling Tech Innovation
• Artificial Intelligence

Currently scheduled keynotes by senior US government officials include:

• Ambassador Robert L. Strayer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy
• Commissioner Christine S. Wilson, Federal Trade Commission.

More information on IGF-USA can be found at https://www.igfusa.us/igf-usa-2019/