IGF

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is an annual event organised under the auspices of the United Nations and mandated by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) as an open and inclusive forum for multistakeholder Internet policy dialogue. It is not a decision-making body, but provides an opportunity for the various Internet stakeholder groups to share information and coordinate their activities.

The first IGF was held in 2006 in Athens, Greece, and it has been held annually since that time in cities around the world. Its initial five-year mandate was renewed in 2011 for a further five years, and then again in 2015 (as part of the WSIS+10 process) for another 10 years.

The RIPE NCC and the IGF

The RIPE NCC has contributed to each of the IGF events, working with the other RIRs under the umbrella of the Number Resource Organization (NRO). These contributions have included organising workshops, speaking on panels and contributing to discussions on a range of Internet governance topics. Further details on these contributions are available on the NRO website:

• History of NRO involvement in the IGF

The RIRs and their communities have also contributed actively to the discussions regarding the creation and evolution of the IGF, most recently as part of the CSTD Working Group on the IGF.

Regional and National Internet Governance Initiatives

The RIPE NCC supports the development of regional and national Internet governance discussions, based on the same open, multistakeholder approach as the global IGF. These events are a means to ensure broader participation of all stakeholders and to examine specific regional and national perspectives on Internet governance issues.

European Dialogue on Internet Dialogue (EuroDIG)

The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) is a platform for discussing and sharing European perspectives on Internet governance. It has taken place annually since 2008, and hosts discussions on issues of regional significance, as well as feeding into the global discussions that take place at the Internet Governance Forum

In 2014, the RIPE NCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to become a EuroDIG Institutional Partner for a term of three years. During the period, the RIPE NCC will contribute to planning and coordination of the EuroDIG process and events.