The 2022 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be held online and in-person in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 28 November to 2 December. This year’s summit takes place in the shadow of a two-year internet blackout in Ethiopia’s Tigray region that Access Now and the global #KeepItOn coalition are campaigning to end.
The communications shutdown has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis brought about by the civil war. In the wake of the recent truce agreement, lifting the blockade demands the urgent attention of all IGF organizers and participants, including representatives from the African Union.
Access Now is participating in IGF 2022 both in-person and online, as we work to amplify the voices of people whose lives and rights are directly impacted by the decisions taken at this and other international fora. We cannot have a truly resilient internet or shared, sustainable, common future if we systematically silence or ignore those most at risk of rights violations. Internet governance and corporate practices must be grounded in human rights principles and support the enjoyment of fundamental rights for all. These principles are all the more important during crises, whether in Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar, Ukraine, or elsewhere.
Below are some of the events Access Now staff will be joining at IGF – and many are open to remote participation. Go to the official website for the registration process. We also invite participants to visit our booth in the IGF Village.
Tuesday, 29 November
Spotlight on AI-driven Content Governance in Times of Crisis
[12:00 pm – 13:00 pm UTC, 15:00 pm – 16:00 pm local time – EAT]
Wednesday, 30 November
Technology and Human Rights Due Diligence at the UN
[9:00 am – 10 am UTC, 12:00 – 13:00 pm local time – EAT]
Thursday, 1 December
Is Encryption a Human Right? Voices of Human Rights Actors
[7:45 am – 9:15 am UTC, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm local time – EAT]
Help! The Kill Switch Is Taking Away My Limited Agency
[9:00 am – 10:00 am UTC, 12:00 pm – 13:00 pm local time – EAT]
Cross-Border Data Sharing for Public Safety
[10:30 am – 12:20 pm UTC, 13:30 pm – 15:20 pm local time – EAT]
Creating a Safer Internet While Protecting Human Rights
[12:30 pm – 13:30 pm UTC, 15:30 pm – 16:30 pm local time – EAT]
Safeguarding Human Rights with a Free and Open Internet
[14:30 pm – 15:30 pm UTC, 17:30 pm – 18:30 pm local time – EAT]
Friday, 2 December
Accountability in Building Digital ID Infrastructures
[8:15 am – 9:45 am UTC, 11:15 am – 12:45 pm local time – EAT]
Data as the New Gold: How to Avoid ‘Gold Rush’ and Create Value for All
[12:00 pm – 13:00 pm UTC, 15:00 pm – 16:00 pm local time EAT]