20th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum
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SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
| DATE | EVENT |
| Wednesday 21st August 09:00 – 10:00 | Opening Ceremony |
| Wednesday 21st August 10:30 – 12:00 | Introduction to Internet Governance, CIGF 20, National, Regional & Global IG Contexts |
| Wednesday 21st August 13:30 – 17:00 | 3rd Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum |
| Thursday 22nd August 09:00 – 12:30 | Capacity Building: Global Forum for Cyber Expertise -Facilitated Sessions |
| Thursday 22nd August 13:00 – 17:30 | Capacity Building: Global Forum for Cyber Expertise -Facilitated Sessions |
| Thursday 22nd August 17:00 – 19:00 | RECEPTION |
| Friday 23rd August 09:00 – 10:00 | ARIN/LACNIC/CTU POLICY FORUM |
| Friday 23rd August 10:30 – 12:00 | Guyana Focus Session |
| Friday 23rd August 13:00 – 15:00 | Examining the UN’s Global Digital Compact |
| Friday 23rd August 15:00 – 17:00 | Open Forum and Closing |
The Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) is a regional, non-hierarchical, multi-stakeholder forum initiated by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in 2005 to coordinate a regional approach to Internet Governance (IG), initially focussed on the proceedings of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The CIGF has since met annually and has delivered significant and pioneering benefits to the region including formulation of a Caribbean Internet Governance Policy Framework; the proliferation of Internet exchange points (IXPs); capacity building in IG Principles and best practices; and growth in Caribbean influence in international IG fora. The CIGF is the longest running Internet Governance Forum in the world.
This year the 20th CIGF will return to Guyana, where it was launched in 2005. It will be staged in-person but with remote participation via online videoconferencing under the auspices of the CTU and the Government of Guyana. In addition to reviewing achievements over the years, the Forum will address various facets of Internet Governance of current import to the Caribbean including UN initiatives to adopt a Global Digital Compact in September 2024 and undertake a 20-year review of WSIS-initiated activities in 2025 (WSIS+20 Review); enhancing the reach, resiliency and sustainability of critical digital infrastructure in the Caribbean; fostering adoption and growth of our digital economies in a trusted and secure manner; and harnessing the benefits of emergent technologies (e.g. AI) while minimising attendant risks. The 3rd Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum (3rd CYIGF) will also be hosted during the time of the 20th CIGF.
- Consider Internet governance policies and initiatives for priority attention and regional consensus to facilitate accelerated digital transformation in the Caribbean
- Elicit the voices and develop the capacity of Caribbean youth in Internet governance by facilitating the 3rd Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum
- Build national and regional capacity and systems in IG to enable, support, strengthen and sustain socio-economic development and effective Caribbean participation and representation at regional and global Internet Governance fora
Target Audience
- Academia
- Civil society
- Government policy makers and IT Managers
- Internet users
- Internet service providers and Telecommunications operators
- International organisations
- ICT Regulators
PROVISIONAL AGENDA (Download)
| Day 1 – Aug 21 20th CIGF & 3rd CYIGF |
Day 2 – Aug 22 20th CIGF – Global Forum for Cyber Expertise – Internet, Infrastructure Initiative (GFCE Triple-I) Workshop |
Day 3 – Aug 23 20th CIGF – ARIN/LACNIC/CTU Policy Forum & Guyana Focus |
DAY 1 – 20th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum
| TIME | SESSION | SPEAKER |
| 09:00 | National Anthem | |
| 09:03 | Opening Prayer | Inter-Religious Organization |
| 09:05 | Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor Secretary-General Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) |
| 09:10 | Greetings from Partner Organizations | Mr. Albert Daniels Senior Manager, Stakeholder Engagement – Caribbean, ICANN. Mr. Sebastian Bellagamba VP, External Engagement, ISOC. Ms. Paula Oteguy Multistakeholder Engagement Coordinator, LACNIC. Mr. Bevil Wooding Director of Caribbean Affairs, ARIN & CAJS. Mr. Chengetai Masango Head of Office, UN IGF Secretariat. |
| 09:30 | Feature Address | Brigadier (Ret’d) the Honourable Mark Phillips Prime Minister of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana |
| 09:45 | Vote of Thanks | Mr. Nigel Cassimire Deputy Secretary-General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) |
| 09:50 | OFFICIAL GROUP PHOTO | |
| 10:00 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 10:30 | Introduction to Internet Governance & Reflections @ CIGF 20 | Mr. Nigel Cassimire Deputy Secretary-General, Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) |
| 11:15 | National, Regional and Global IG Contexts | Reports from National, Regional & Global IGFs
Mr. Tracy Hackshaw – TT MAG Ms. Stéphanie Joseph – President ISOC Haiti – Haiti IGF Ms. Lilian Chamorro Rojas – Coordinator, LACIGF Ms. Nia Nanan – SIDS IGF Ms. Anja Gengo – UN IGF Secretariat and Ms. Carol Roach – UN IGF MAG Chair |
| 12:15 | General Discussion and Q&A | |
| 12:30 | LUNCH BREAK | |
DAY 1 – 3rd Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum
| TIME | SESSION | SPEAKER |
| 13:30 | 3rd CYIGF Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor Secretary-General, CTUMr. Tariq Mohammed, CYIGF Chair |
| 13:40 | Empowering Youth and Addressing Challenges in Global Internet Governance: Navigating the Future of Digital Policy | Mr. Maarten Botterman Chair of GFCE Working Group on Emerging Technologies |
| 13:55 | Panel Discussion: Empowering Caribbean Youth: Driving the Global Compact and SIDS Agendas into Action | Moderators: Ms. Celeste Pereira, ITU Youth Envoy
Speakers: Mr. Shergaun Roserie Mr. Filippo Pierozzi Ms. Nancy Quirós Ms. Jael Goddard |
| 14:20 | Panel Discussion: Securing our Digital Future: Tackling Cyber Threats and Protecting Privacy in the Caribbean | Moderators: Ms. Renasha Cassar & Mr. Tyler Seudath, CYIGF
Speakers: Mr. Kevon Swift, Mr. Michael Thomas, Mrs. Candy Saunders-Alfred, Mr. Shernon Osepa, CTU |
| 15:00 | Panel Discussion: Bridging the Digital Divide: Ensuring Inclusive Access for Caribbean Youth, Persons with Disabilities and Vulnerable Populations | Moderator: Ms. Naomi Padmore & Ms. Shanelle McPherson, CYIGF
Speakers: Mr. Kirk Sookram Mr. Keeghan Patrick Mr. Shane Cornelius |
| 15:45 | Panel Discussion: Turning Clicks into Cash: Overcoming Challenges and Advancing Monetization for Caribbean Content Creators | Moderator: Ms. Shanelle McPherson, CYIGF
Speakers: Jennifer Persad-Boodoo Keron Rose Kyle Maloney |
| 16:40 | AI in Action: Boosting Business Efficiency and Cutting Costs in the Caribbean Private Sector | Mr. Leslie Lee Fook Director of AI, Automation and Analytics, Incus Services Limited |
| 16:55 | 3rd CYIGF Closing Remarks | Ms. Gabrielle Johnson, CTU Youth ICT Network
Mr. Tariq Mohammed, CYIGF Chair |
DAY 2 – Global Forum for Cyber Expertise – Internet, Infrastructure Initiative (GFCE Triple-I) Workshop
| TIME | SESSION | SPEAKER |
| 09:00 | Welcome & Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, CTU
Mr. Maarten Botterman, GFCE Triple-I |
| 09:15 | I – Better Use of Today’s Open Internet Standards:
the use and usefulness of Open Internet Standards such as DNSSEC, TLS, DANE, RPKI, ROA, DMARC, DKIM, SPF and IPv6. Reference the GFCE Triple-I Handbook at the GFCE Triple-I webpage, and technical tests for the state of implementation at www.internet.nl.
Section 1: DNS Security (DNSSEC, TLS and DANE) Section 2: Routing Security (PKI and ROA) Section 3: Email Security Section 4: IPv6
We will discuss the WHY and WHAT of these open standards and explore the current state of uptake in the region, based upon a measuring using https://internet.nl. Real numbers on current uptake will help better understand where the region stands. |
Mr. Nicolas Antoniello, ICANN Mr. Bevil Wooding, ARIN/Mr. Kevon Swift, LACNIC Hovsep Najarian /EasyDMARC Mr. Bevil Wooding, ARIN/Mr. Kevon Swift, LACNIC, Mr. Shernon Osepa, CTU |
| 10:45 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 11:00 | II Part 1 – Inspiration from Good Practice Actions:
Next to technical modern Internet standards it is important to manage the Internet resources in a good practice way, learning from global internet practices. In Part 1 we will focus on: a- Internet Resilience Index: Insight in the local Internet resilience in terms of infrastructure, performance, security, and market readiness is key when policies are to be developed and prioritized where it is most needed b- MANRS: rationale, development and deployment of Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security in the region, building on global experience c- KINDNS: Knowledge-Sharing and Instantiating Norms for DNS and Naming Security will help keep the DNS space secure |
Ms. Nancy Quirós & Mr. Dan York –Internet Society (ISOC)
Mr. Andrei Robachevsky – Global Cyber Alliance
Mr. Nicolas Antoniello, Mr. Albert Daniels – ICANN |
| 12:30 | LUNCH | |
| 13:30 | II Part 2 – Inspiration from Good Practice Actions:
a- “Cookbook” on DDOS attack mitigation (see https://www.concordia-h2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PREPRINT-D3-6_DDoS_Clearing_House_Cookbook.pdf ),
b- Global Cyber Alliance: Capacity and resilience toolkits for small enterprises (https://globalcyberalliance.org)
c- Avoiding Disconnection – Understanding the resilience of subsea cable infrastructure
d- Promoting Caribbean Internet Resilience: The DNS Observatory Project
e- Good Practices for Secure and Resilient Operations of ccTLD registries |
Mr. Thijs van den Hout – SIDN – The Netherlands
Mr. Brian Cute – Global Cyber Alliance
Mr. Dan York – Internet Society (ISOC) Prof. Nicole Starosielski – University of California at Berkeley Mr. Shernon Osepa – CTU
Prof. Patrick Hosein – nic.tt Ms. Kroopa Shah – Identity Digital
|
| 15:30 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 15:45 | III – Action Planning for increasing justified trust, together:
Facilitated brainstorm, based on the input discussed over the day, and an introduction on a possible way forward leveraging the “justified trust in the use of the Internet and email” throughout the region. Relevant projects for this will be proposed to consider. |
|
| 16:15
|
Data for Good
CSAM Status and Policy Actions UN’s Draft Convention on Cybercrime |
Mr. Alex Pompe – Meta
Ms. Maria De Gutierrez Ortiz Monasterio – UNODC
|
| 16:55 | Conclusions and Closing Remarks | Mr. Nigel Cassimire – CTU |
| 17:00 | END OF DAY 2 | |
DAY 3 –ARIN/LACNIC/ CTU Policy Forum & Guyana Focus
| TIME | SESSION | SPEAKERS |
| 09:00 | Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor
Secretary General – CTU |
| 09:05 | Welcome Remarks | Mr. Bevil Wooding – Director, Caribbean Affairs, ARIN |
| Mr. Kevon Swift – Head of Public Safety Affairs, LACNIC | ||
| 09:15 | Feature Presentations and Q&A: | |
| Caribbean AI Policy Roadmap 2024
Needs Assessment Survey on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Open Data in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Fostering Caribbean AI Entrepreneurship – A Case Study from the Justice Sector
|
Dr. Paul Hector and Ms. Erica Simmons – UNESCO
Dr. Bhanu Neupane – UNESCO
Mr. Kevin Khelawan – Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions (CAJS) |
|
10:15 |
Strategic Cybersecurity and Digital Resilience
Digital Economy Initiatives: Next Round of gTLDs and the Applicant Support Programme |
Mr. Kevon Swift – LACNIC
Mr. Albert Daniels – ICANN |
| Interactive Discussion Segment
|
Moderator:
Mr. Nigel Cassimire – Deputy SG, CTU |
|
| 11:00 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 11:15 | Guyana Focus Session:
· Status of Internet Infrastructure · Measuring the Information Society |
Mr. Andre Griffith – Telecommunications Agency, Guyana Ms. Viviana Umpierrez – ITU and Ms. Nia Nanan – CTU |
| 12:15 | LUNCH | |
| 13:30 | Examining the Global Digital Compact (GDC):
· GDC Overview and Context
· UN SG’s High Level Advisory Board Briefing Session: AI and the Global Digital Compact
|
Moderator: Mr. Shernon Osepa –CTU
Mr. Maarten Botterman – GFCE
UN HLAB Members: Dr. Craig Ramlal Ms. Jimena Viveros |
| 14:30 | Forum Discussion: Looking forward for the CIGF.
Framing questions – Is there a continuing role for a regional harmonisation mechanism such as the CIGF? – Given the transition from Internet governance to digital governance, what key challenges would the CIGF need to evolve to meet? – What good practices and practical lessons can we draw on to improve the effectiveness of the CIGF? – What priority actions can we identify towards advancing, strengthening and sustaining the CIGF?
|
Mr. Nigel Cassimire – CTU With Seeding Discussants from Stakeholder Communities:
– Government – Private Sector – Academia – Civil Society – Technical Community |
| 15:30 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 15:45 | Open Microphone | |
| 16:15 | Conclusions and Next Steps | Mr. Rodney Taylor & Mr. Nigel Cassimire – CTU |
| 16:30 | END OF 20TH CIGF | |
 Ms. Candy Saunders-Alfred Candy Saunders-Alfred currently serving as a Cyber Analyst at CARICOM IMPACS in the Cyber Fusion Unit, she also works as an IT Support Technician for the CBSI Connect platform. Candy has held various positions, including ICT Technician and Digital Forensics Investigator, allowing her to gain valuable technological and interpersonal skills. She holds a Masters in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigation from the University of Dublin, along with a Higher National Diploma in Computing Systems Development. |
 Mr. Hovsep Najarian As an Email Security Implementation Specialist for the past 5 years, I have been assisting enterprises with configuring their internal email systems and achieving their security objectives. |
 Mr. Keeghan Patrick Keeghan Patrick is an exceptionally dedicated problem solver with a strong academic and professional background. He earned a master’s degree in advanced manufacturing and design from MIT, complemented by a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UWI. Keeghan further enriched his knowledge through a semester at Harvard Business School, focusing on Strategy and Technology, and honed his entrepreneurial skills at Draper U Ventures’ founder accelerator program in Silicon Valley. His academic excellence is evident in the numerous scholarships he has received from prestigious institutions such as the Wade Institute of Technology, Stanford University’s Black in Robotics, 3M, and the National Society of Black Engineers. |
 Mr. Keron Rose Keron Rose is a Digital Strategist that works with businesses across the Caribbean and diaspora to help them build their digital presence and participate in the global economy. He is the host of one of the top podcasts in the Caribbean called “Digipreneur FM” and the host of the Digital World on Freedom 106.5fm. He is a columnist for the TT Newsday and Jamaica Observer, a lecturer at Arthur Lok Jack School of Business and a Program Advisor for Marketing at the University of South Florida. |
 Mr. Maarten Botterman Maarten Botterman is independent strategic advisor on Internet Governance and related issues with 25+ year experience in guiding governments and major organizations on the economic/business and societal impacts of current and future internet innovations and technologies. He has published over 100 reports and articles relating to a broad range for information society issues. In addition, he has 10+ year experience as member of international Boards. His passion is making best use of internet related technologies for a sustainable society, both in terms of ecologic, economic and social sustainability. His vision is based on a deep understanding of what it means to live in a global, networked, knowledge-based society, and his passion is doing the right thing from a public interest perspective in the one world we share, and that is volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and diverse by nature. His activities consist of independent (digital) policies advice, board governance, cyber capacity building and teaching and mentoring of young people on Internet governance matters. Maarten is currently Member of the ICANN Board, recently appointed for his 3rd term, and serving as its Chair from 2019 – 2022. Within the ICANN Board he is co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. Previous positions included Director at the RAND Corporation, Scientific Officer at the European Commission and Senior Advisor to the Dutch Government, before becoming independent in 2006. Previous Board positions include Chairman of the Board of the Public Interest Registry and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the NLnet Foundation. He was also 3 years CEO of the UK based public private platform Information Assurance Advisory Council and 3 years Member of the ENISA Permanent Stakeholder Group. Voluntary work includes leading the IGF Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things, and chairing the GFCE Working Group on Emerging Technologies. |
 Mr. Micheal Thomas My name is Micheal Thomas, and I have over a year of hands-on experience in cybersecurity. I got into this field because I’ve always been curious about how computers work, which led me to earn a Diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. I’ve worked on various cyber threat incidents, and I’m focused on developing my skills to keep up with the evolving landscape. I’m committed to learning continuously and sharing what I know to help others stay safe online. My goal is to make cybersecurity more accessible, particularly for young people, by raising awareness about the real and growing risks they face online. |
 Mr. Andrei Robachevsky As Technical Director within the GCA Internet Integrity Program (I2), I am working on developing collaborative approaches to solving key cybersecurity shortcomings in the Internet infrastructure. This work is based on active engagement and collaboration with the operator, research, and policy stakeholder groups. My experience in this area comes from more than a decade work at the Internet Society on improving security and resilience of the Internet infrastructure. As part of this effort, together with a group of leading network operators, we developed and launched an effort that became an industry-led initiative called Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS). I was also responsible for the development of its programs. |
 Mr. Shergaun Roserie Shergaun Roserie is a distinguished mechanical engineer and technology innovator from Saint Lucia, recognized as one of the Caribbean’s 35 under 35 and Caribbean Youth of the Year. A Howard University graduate, he has worked at Microsoft and Cummins, with specialized training from Google. Currently, Shergaun is a Director of Orbtronics Ltd., where he leads impactful software development and STEM education projects. An advocate for STEM, he actively participates in international youth forums as a delegate of the ITU Generation Connect Group, driving technological advancement in the Caribbean and beyond. |
 Ms. Stephanie Joseph I am the president of ISOC Haiti Chapter and i’m passionate about technology. i have a master degree in database |
 Mr. Thijs van den Hout Thijs is a research engineer at SIDN Labs, the R&D department of the .nl top-level domain operator. He has a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from Radboud University, the Netherlands. His work focusses on applying data science and machine learning to tackle cyber security problems in the online space with the goal of making the internet more secure and trustworthy. |
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