Moldova Internet Governance Forum 2024

Location

Chișinău, Moldova

Date

April 29-30, 2024

Agenda

Topics

MIGF objectives and tasks

The main objective of the Moldova Internet Governance Forum is to consolidate various categories of actors (public sector, civil society, technical community and academia, private sector, international organizations) to discuss, within a multilateral, democratic and transparent process, the most important public policy issues related to the Internet, as well as security in the virtual environment. The MIGF promotes open discussions and dialogue with a view to identifying a common approach on how to promote the Internet and manage the risks and challenges that arise regarding its use and evolution.

The major directions of the Forum activity are:

Protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms on Internet, support of democratic process and the rule of law;
Support of implementation of the Internet governance with the participation of all stakeholders;
Support of harmonization of international regulations and local legislation;
Support of enhancing of Internet users’ rights and capabilities;
Promotion of the universalization of the Internet;
Support of Internet security and reliability, sustainability and credibility;
Support of formation of the decentralized approaches of the Internet governance based on social responsibility;
Support of introduction of innovation, new technologies and services in the Internet sector;
Introduction of the principles of open access and freedom of user’s choice;
Facilitation of the cultural and linguistic diversity in the Internet as well as support of development of local content.

The role of a neutral secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum in Moldova is entrusted to the Association "Comunitatea Internet" - a non-governmental organization that supports and promotes the development of the open, secure, trustworthy, and unified global Internet.

MIGF main goals:

to point out to various stakeholders the opportunities for involvement in Internet governance processes relevant to their business and activities, and to encourage dialogue and, if necessary, help in capacity building for better understanding Internet-related topics;
to empower and interest all stakeholders in Moldova to actively participate in national, and then directly or indirectly, regional and international Internet governance processes;
to identify Internet governance topics important to Moldova.

Speakers

David Frautschy Heredia

Sergiu Gaibu

Anja Gengo

Victoria Cociug

Alexandru Coreţchi

Vahan Hovsepyan

Anatolie Golovco

Lilian Carp

Anastasiya Zhyrmont

Veaceslav Cunev

All Speakers

The relevance and methodology of the MIGF

Internet governance is defined as "the development and application by governments, the private sector, and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet" (Agenda for the information society, Tunis, 2005). The Global Internet Governance Forum was formed in 2006 under the auspices of the United Nations and is the result of the World Summit on the Information Society, held between 2003 and 2005. The MIGF event aims to create a national platform for dialogue and interaction with key stakeholders (both offline and online).

Offline participation implies:

Annual meetings of IGF / stakeholder groups;
Engagement in processes related to elaboration, implementation, monitoring or evaluation of Internet Governance policies, as a part of workshops, roundtable meetings, capacity building sessions, public consultations, others initiated by public institutions, international development partners or CSOs.

Online participation implies:

Regular development and dissemination of information materials on updates related to Internet governance issues;
Communication through a mailing list;
Connecting MIGF participants to global and regional level or events dedicated to Internet Governance issues (United Nations IGF, regional and sub-regional forums, ICANN, Internet Society, Freedom Online Coalition, RightsCon, others).

MIGF core principles:

Openness and transparency (allowing all interested parties to participate in the IGF, public insight into all parts of the IGF's work);
Inclusivity (enable active involvement of all stakeholders, including the creation of a dedicated website or webpage, creation of a mailing list and/or an open platform, creation of dedicated social media pages, etc.);
Bottom-up approach (the decision-making process of the MIGF initiative should be bottom-up, where substantive organization of the annual meeting should reflect the needs of the respective community the MIGF are acting within);
Non-commercial (IGF is not intended for sale of goods and services);
Multi-stakeholder (the approach refers to collaboration between all stakeholders - public sector, civil society, technical community and academia, private sector - around the development and implementation of an array of Internet-related principles, norms, rules, decision making procedures, and policies and programs).

Agenda

Below you'll find the Agenda for MIGF
Working languages: Romanian, Russian, English.

April 29, 2024. DAY 1
April 30, 2024. DAY 2

Special Guests, Partners from Moldova and abroad, MIGF Organizing Committee:

Lilian Carp, Chairman of the Committee for National Security, Defense and Public Order, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
Alexandru Coreţchi, Director of Information Technology and Cyber Security Service
Anatolie Golovco, Prime Minister's Office, Government of the Republic of Moldova
Victoria Cociug, Vice-Rector for Research and Partnerships at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM)
Anja Gengo, United Nations Secretariat for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
David Frautschy Heredia, Senior Director for European Government and Regulatory Affairs at Internet Society
Vahan Hovsepyan, Senior Community and Public Policy Advisor at the Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC)
Mikhail Anisimov, Head of Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Alexei Marciuc, Chairman of the Association “Comunitatea Internet”, National Coordinator for the Moldova Internet Governance Forum (MIGF)

Moderator: Mikhail Anisimov, Head of Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

Alexandru Coreţchi, Director of Information Technology and Cyber Security Service
Anatolie Golovco, Prime Minister's Office, Government of the Republic of Moldova
Petru Basiul, The Regulatory and Analysis Department of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI)
Sergiu Chițan, Head of Development Department at StarNet, Chief Technology Officer at STARLAB Moldova
Vahan Hovsepyan, Senior Community and Public Policy Advisor at the Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC)

Moderator: Sergiu Bozianu, President of the Privacy Research Association

Ion Vintila, Deputy Director at the Agency for Cyber Security
Viorel Plopa, Co-founder of the Center for Legal Security of Information
Anastasiya Zhyrmont, Policy Manager (Eastern Europe and Central Asia) at Access Now
Valeriu Kuciuk, Head of the Representing Department at the Constitutional Court and Law Enforcement Bodies of the Legal Directorate - Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
Ivan Sveatcenko, Journalist, Chairman of the Modern Media Institute

Moderator: Sergiu Scobioala, General Producer of Realitatea Media Group

Veaceslav Cunev, Chairman of the Board of Moldovan Association of Information and Communications Technology Companies (ATIC), CEO of Deeplace Company
Sergiu Gaibu, Director of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), Chairman of the ANRCETI Administrative Board
Bogdan Manolea, Executive Director of Association for Technology and Internet (ApTI), Romania
Arsen Aubakirov, Director of the "Human Rights Consulting Group", Kazakhstan
Irina Buzu, Member of AI Expert group at Council of Europe, Advisor on AI to the Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister for Economic Development and Digitalisation
Alexandru Donos, Head of IT Projects and Technology at Ghesar Company

Participants of the multi-stakeholder side event, dedicated to the topic of legislative and policy challenges to Internet freedom in Moldova, will discuss approaches to the formation of a legal framework regulating the online environment. Also the subject of discussion will be the latest events and trends affecting Internet freedom in the Republic of Moldova, including the policy of expanding the powers of law enforcement agencies. As evidenced by expert and statistical analysis of legislative activity, in Moldova there has recently been a rapid tendency towards excessive tightening of regulatory practices, and at the same time some draft laws do not contain clear criteria and grounds for interference with rights and freedoms, which creates preconditions for ambiguous interpretation and high risks of abuse.

The event will discuss, in particular, the provisions of the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova, approved by the Parliament on December 15, 2023, which covers a six-year period and contains a number of provisions that may have a significant impact on Internet freedom in Moldova. The Strategy envisages the harmonization of the national legal framework with the set security goals and objectives, taking into account the need to meet the preconditions for the country's accession to the European Union. National and international experts will discuss approaches and recommendations that will allow, when elaborating the forthcoming legislative changes related to the implementation of the National Security Strategy, to avoid possible abuses and ambiguous interpretation of legal provisions.

The discussions will contribute to the search for a balanced format of online regulation and the formation of progressive state policy in this area, taking into account expert recommendations, international experience and best practices. In the future, it is crucial for Moldova to create a favorable legal environment for the online space and develop its legislation, taking into account the need to maintain a balance between security issues and civil liberties.

Moderator: Alexei Marciuc, National Coordinator for the Moldova Internet Governance Forum (MIGF)

Andrei Rusnac, Co-founder of the Association “Comunitatea Internet”
Asomudin Atoev, Regional Director at the SecDev Foundation
Igor Rozkladai, Co-founder and Deputy Director at the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM), Ukraine
Oxana Iuteş, Country Director, Internews in Moldova
Tatiana Puiu, Freedom House’s Local Representative
Arben Gudachi, Technical Program Manager at the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI)
The Committee for National Security, Defense and Public Order, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
The Audiovisual Council of the Republic of Moldova

Through sustained outreach and constant interaction between government institutions, the private sector, civil society and the technical community, with the support of international organizations, initiatives and foundations, a certain consensus has been reached in Moldova regarding the importance of Internet Freedom. However, in the context of national and regional security developments, there are increasing challenges that pose significant risks of negative consequences for online freedom, possible abuses and ambiguity in the application of regulatory frameworks, which prioritises the importance of maintaining research and advocacy activities on policies and laws for preserving an open and free Internet and promoting fundamental freedoms in the virtual space.

In the second part of a special side event dedicated to Internet Freedom, national and international experts will examine trends in the regulation of the online environment in Moldova, taking into account the extent to which the country complies with national and international standards related to freedom of expression, dissemination of information, balanced monitoring of online content and privacy protection. Contributors will discuss approaches to developing and applying common principles, norms and decision-making procedures governing the online environment that are based on a broad, multi-stakeholder approach and take into account economic, political and sociocultural factors.

Moderator: Cornelia Cozonac, Co-founder and President of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Moldova

Sergiu Bozianu, President of the Privacy Research Association
Viorica Zaharia, President of the Press Council of the Republic of Moldova
Valentina Ursu, Journalist, Realitatea Media Group
Stela Pavlov, Freedom House - Moldova, Expert in the field of media, anti-corruption and justice sector reforms

In order to further develop the Youth IGF Strategy and the sustainable integration of young people into Internet governance processes at national, regional and global levels, Moldova IGF is supporting the launch of the Youth IGF Initiative, which is being formed for the first time, as a capacity-building activity that is carried out as part of the year-round IGF process.

This side event is designed to bring together young leaders, representatives of the student community and experienced stakeholders, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration between generations. By facilitating an open exchange of ideas, experiences, and expertise, the ‎event seeks to chart a course towards a safer digital landscape for everyone. It will underscore the ‎crucial significance of implementing sound digital policies, laying the foundation for a secure and ‎responsible digital future.

Young leaders and stakeholders are invited to actively participate in Internet governance processes, including the IGF, its intersessional work and annual meetings. The Youth IGF Initiative launch will facilitate the development of Internet governance skills and knowledge among the younger generation and ensure that their voices are heard and taken into account in the development of relevant resources and policies, as well as foster a culture of active youth participation. Participants of the event will learn about youth-related issues and key international actors in the Internet governance ecosystem, as well as discuss current issues in youth policy and the digital agenda.

Moderator: Sergiu Tutunaru, Director of the Innovative IT Incubator IT4BA, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova

Ion Vintila, Deputy Director at the Agency for Cyber Security
Alexei Marciuc, Chairman of the Association "Comunitatea Internet", National coordinator of the Moldova Internet Governance Forum (MIGF)
Mikhail Anisimov, Head of Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Vahan Hovsepyan, Senior Community and Public Policy Advisor at the Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC)
Ionelia Daschevici, Project manager at the Innovative Incubator IT4BA, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova

Moldova Internet Governance Forum 2024 will include plenary sessions, panel discussions and side events covering key issues under the themes of the Forum, becoming a multi-stakeholder platform for sharing ideas, experiences and strategies, reviewing best practices and contributing to a common digital development agenda.

A preliminary version of the program themes was developed on the basis of suggestions received through an open call for inputs, as well as through a subsequent series of discussions with representatives of the community from different stakeholder groups, taking into account regional and global trends in Internet Governance.

The discussion of topical issues of the digital agenda of the Republic of Moldova and Internet development will be focused on key tracks relevant for the annual multi-stakeholder dialog in all IGF formats.

The MIGF 2024 Organizing Committee includes representatives of various stakeholder groups: civil society, technical and academic community, business, government institutions and international organizations.

We invite you to contribute to the MIGF agenda-setting process. We are waiting for your comments, which can be sent via suggestions form on the event website or through social media channels. The final version of the program is currently being discussed with the speakers and other involved actors and will be posted on the event website after it is finalized.

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