IGF-USA 2026 Program Committee Invite

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15 July 2026

Dear US colleagues,

I am writing on behalf of IGF-USA 2026, currently a project to reactivate the IGF-USA. A small group got together approximately 2 months ago and started talking and planning about how to restart. We have come up with a plan for an IGF-USA 2026, and I am writing to you to ask whether you would like to participate in a Program Committee to help plan that session.

First, a bit on what we have done so far and what we are in the process of doing.

  • We formed a small Steering Group to get the work underway. There are 9 of us, with Ron da Silva chairing, who have been zooming periodically. More information on this can be found in the update notes from our meetings.
  • We have started recovering the mechanisms of the IGF-USA from their dormancy.
  • We have worked with the IGF Secretariat and are once again a registered NRI and were included on the most recent map that the IGF Secretariat put out.
  • We have decided to schedule a 1 day (approximately 5–6 hour) hybrid IGF-USA meeting in Philadelphia on 9 September 2026. The venue is in the process of being arranged.
  • Given the short time we had to plan, and the abbreviated plans we have, we decided not to use the framework established previously by IGF-USA. We can certainly discuss going back to those processes in future years, if as a group we decide to, after community discussions. For now we have a plan to start getting off the ground again and to determine how we want to continue into the future.
  • We have had some discussions on the possible future IGF-USA. I am attaching a draft picture that gives a brief description of those ideas.
  • We have set an agenda framework consisting of 3 sessions for this year:
    • One session on recapping what has happened in the area of Internet Governance since the last IGF-USA. This would be a panel, with Q&A, of those who have participated in the changes that the governance framework has been going through over the last few years. Suggestions for speakers are welcome. We are planning on maybe 4 speakers for this session.
    • One session on deciding how we want to move forward with the IGF-USA. This will be a Steering Committee moderated session of those present, in a hybrid sense.
    • One substantive session that fits both with the theme set by the IGF MAG, "Governing the Internet in the Age of Intelligence: Our Shared Responsibility", and that is relevant to a US context. This is where we need your help.

Having taken this decision and realizing how little time we have, we started talking to people and have collected a list of well-respected names from the various stakeholder groups we have spoken to who have shown interest.

This is only a short-term effort since we have less than 2 months before the date of the IGF-USA, on 9 September. This note is going out to that list of people.

While we think one or another of the Steering Committee has spoken to most of you already, we may not have been able to connect with all of you. This may be old news you were waiting for, or may be a note from out of the blue.

If you are interested in helping as part of this group, please let me know at info@igfusa.us. Once you do, I will add you to an email list, and we can start planning.

Thanks – hoping to hear from you soon.

avri

on behalf of the Steering Committee and as Coordinator for the Program Committee

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