Dear Members of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group,
Distinguished Delegates,
Colleagues and Friends from around the world,
First, I take this opportunity to once again congratulate all Members of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group on your appointment. I also congratulate Mr. Paul Mitchell, the newly appointed Chair of the MAG, on taking up this important role. I welcome Ms. Myriam Said, Digital Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Ethiopia, who joins us here as the Host Country Co-Chair.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the IGF Secretariat, look forward to working with you. My colleagues and I are fully committed to supporting you in your efforts to prepare the 17th meeting of the Internet Governance Forum.
I have no doubt that:
- under the able guidance of the MAG Chair, and
- through close cooperation with the Host Country and the MAG’s work, as well as
- through inclusive engagement with the community, the 2022 IGF will be a success.
I urge you to learn from the very good practices of last year’s IGF, its MAG and Host Country - the Government of Poland. They managed to organize a remarkable IGF meeting, despite the huge global challenges the pandemic has continued to pose.
The testament to the success of IGF 2021, is the quality of its outcomes and outputs, especially the Katowice IGF Messages.
The Katowice IGF will be remembered as the first ever hybrid IGF, and for its record-breaking participation and stakeholder engagement. Successful dialogues and cooperation, among:
- high-level leaders and experts,
- parliamentarians,
- youth, and
- over 10,000 other participants with expertise in different disciplines, have set strong foundations for the IGF’s work in 2022.
I very much look forward to this year’s IGF convening on the African continent. This is an important opportunity to emphasize the perspectives and priorities of Africa, to exchange knowledge, and learn from all stakeholders.
The IGF is at a crossroads. Collectively, the MAG and the vibrant IGF community are already delivering on the IGF mandate in innovative and concrete ways. But we could do more.
This has been clearly expressed through the MAG’s dedication to strengthening the IGF programme, the community’s continuous support to the IGF, and advice during stocktaking processes. And by the United Nations, beginning with calls for action and commitments in the Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, and his report on Our Common Agenda.
In order to better understand how we should organize our work in the years ahead, we are holding an Expert Group Meeting at 缅北禁地Headquarters in New York, on 30 March, to 1 April.
I encourage all stakeholders to respond to the call for inputs and to nominate representatives... Those who are not only well-versed in Internet policies, but committed to the digital well-being of all people and our planet.
Dear MAG Members,
I urge you to work together with all stakeholders in the inclusive preparation of the IGF 2022 programme. As you embark upon your work, I will also call on you to support fundraising efforts to ensure the financial sustainability of the IGF. This financial support is critical for the Forum to deliver its programme and achieve its mandate.
Through our continued cooperation, and under the guidance of the Secretary-General, we will make the 2022 IGF a success.
I wish you fruitful deliberations on this challenging agenda.
I thank you.