Global IGF Update: The 15th IGF Meeting will be Virtual

On June 14, 2020, the IGF Secretariat announced that the 15th Annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be held as a virtual conference. While it is disappointing to not collaborate in person with all of our colleagues, this is a prudent and necessary change while we continue to battle a global pandemic.

The work conducted via IGF must continue; the internet is too critical for a pause, and we are encouraged an event will still take place. The Government of Poland will now continue to support the virtual meeting as well as host the IGF 2021 in Katowice in the 4th quarter of next year. We applaud the flexibility of the host country and thank them for this extraordinary commitment to the IGF. Future IGF meetings have also shifted, with Ethiopia and Japan preparing for the subsequent years. Hosting such an event is a monumental effort, and we appreciate the commitment by each of these countries and the IGF Secretariat.

While there are several complexities to be addressed, the decision to go virtual provides necessary time to adapt the agenda to the new format. Speaking from experience moving IGF-USA to a virtual event, it is best to make the decision early and allow for sessions and networking events to be constructed with the online format in mind. And, we’ve found a bright point: the ability to have more participants and panelists, individuals who may otherwise not have been able to travel to DC for our event. With everyone remote, the dynamics encourage broader participation, and we hope to see that advantage also utilized in the 15th IGF. IGF-USA will share our experiences in July with the Secretariat and other NRIs to add to a growing knowledge base of best practices and lessons-learned for hosting a virtual conference.

While all of us at IGF-USA are saddened that we can’t see our counterparts in Poland this November, we look forward to other events throughout 2021 and our next annual meeting in Katowice.