I&J convened

Published on
February 22, 2021

The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network hosted a Virtual Conference Addressing Concrete Challenges to Digital Cooperation: Launch of I&JPN Toolkits on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 4pm - 6pm UTC.

The Virtual Conference provided an opportunity for key global stakeholders to discuss concrete challenges to digital cooperation and outlined potential opportunities towards better coordination.

The event marked the launch of three innovative I&JPN Toolkits:

They are the result of spearheading collaborative work of 100+ Members from governments, companies, international organizations, civil society, technical operators, and academia in the three I&JPN Programs, and multistakeholder consultations since the 1st Global Conference of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network in 2016. 

Opening Speakers included:

- Vint Cerf, Co-Founder of the Internet and Vice President, Google

- Anriette Esterhuysen, Chair of the UN Internet Governance Forum MAG and Senior Advisor, Association of Progressive Communication

- Stefan Schnorr, Director General, Germany - Ministry of Economy and Energy

The recording of the event can be found here

More information and the program with lead discussants can be found here:

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ABOUT THE I&JPN TOOLKITS

The Toolkits are a landmark resource developed by the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network - the multistakeholder organization fostering legal interoperability in cyberspace. They provide practitioners and policymakers with pathways to develop better interoperable solutions to concrete cross-border legal challenges that require transnational standards, innovative coordination mechanisms and workflows between numerous stakeholders. The Toolkits are the result of spearheading collaborative work of 100+ Members from governments, companies, international organizations, civil society, technical operators, and academia in the three I&JPN Programs since the 1st Global Conference of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network in 2016. 

BACKGROUND

In an interconnected world where the vast majority of online interactions take place across multiple borders, we need new and interoperable policy approaches. Most countries' legal frameworks were not designed for the internet and therefore struggle to cope with transnational online interactions that involve multiple jurisdictions at once. In a climate of unprecedented proliferation of policy processes and potentially incompatible solutions, innovative cooperation mechanisms are needed to define and address concrete legal challenges. 

ISSUES

The I&JPN Toolkits are intended for practitioners and policymakers seeking to develop better policies for the digital era: 

- Cross-border Access to Electronic Evidence: Reconciling transnational data flows and privacy with lawful access requirements to address crime.

- Cross-border Content Moderation: Managing online content considering diverse local laws and norms.

- DNS Level Action to Address Abuses: Preserving the internet's technical layer when applying national laws to the DNS.

CONTENTS

Each Toolkit includes: 

- Explanation of core jurisdictional challenges in the field of data, content, and domains.

- Insight into the I&JPN innovative methodology for multistakeholder policy making.

- Tools, common typologies, and frameworks to benchmark best practices and support policy practitioners in addressing practical internet policy challenges.

THE INTERNET & JURISDICTION POLICY NETWORK: INFORM, CONNECT, ADVANCE

The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network is the leading multistakeholder organization addressing the tension between the cross-border internet and national jurisdictions. Its Secretariat facilitates a global policy process engaging over 400 key entities from governments, the world’s largest internet companies, technical operators, civil society groups, academia, and international organizations from over 70 countries. Stakeholders currently work in three Programs (Data & Jurisdiction, Content & Jurisdiction, and Domains & Jurisdiction) to jointly develop policy standards and operational solutions to pressing legal challenges at the intersection of the global digital economy, human rights, and security. The organization is also the home of the world’s first Internet & Jurisdiction Global Status Report and knowledge mutualization activities include regional and thematic reports as well as the I&J Retrospect Database.

The regular Global Conferences of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network are institutionally supported by the Council of Europe, European Commission, ICANN, OECD, United Nations ECLAC, and UNESCO. Partner countries include France (2016), Canada (2018), and Germany (2019). Recognizing the contribution of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network to global governance, the work of the organization was presented to the G20 digital track, recognized by the G7 Cyber Group, one of only 40 worldwide initiatives especially showcased at the inaugural Paris Peace Forum gathering over 80 heads of government and IGOs, featured as an example in the 2020 Report “Governance Innovation Society 5.0” of Japan launched together with the OECD, and highlighted as a global cooperation mechanism by the 2020 UN Secretary General HLP Report on Digital Cooperation. The work of the organization has been covered in top media outlets such as The Economist, Washington Post, Financial Times, Politico or Fortune. The organization is financially supported by a uniquely diverse coalition of over 20 governments, companies, and organizations. 

WHAT STAKEHOLDERS HAVE SAID DURING THE CONFERENCE