Technical Community Organizations meet to discuss Internet-Related Collaboration in LAC

08/02/2023

Collaboration on issues related to the Internet and a stronger regional commitment were among the central topics discussed during the first meeting of the year held by the Technical Community Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean. Representatives of seven organizations met in Montevideo on 26-27 January to engage in a dialogue on issues that are relevant to all of the organizations, as well as to share each organization’s top priorities for 2023 and conceptualize common actions.

The Future of LACIGF

The group discussed the future of the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (LACIGF), acknowledging current efforts to further empower the community in organizing and implementing the process, and in advancing the implementation of the new LACIGF Bylaws and even a new structure. Early this year, the LACIGF Program Committee opened the call for expressions of interest and consultation period for organizations interested in performing the functions of the LACIGF secretariat and/or submitting questions about the process or its founding documents, a stage that was completed on January 13. These efforts were detailed by Technical Community representatives on the LACIGF Program Committee, who also shared future steps.

A Macro Project for Latin America and the Caribbean

Participants also discussed the creation of a coalition to advance Internet security and resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean, the production of relevant indicators on the improvement of Internet security for decision makers, stronger participation in cybersecurity spaces, and common awareness-building and training activities for the community. Given the multiple digital transformation processes accelerated by the pandemic, concerns about cybersecurity intensified and became one of the greatest risks for Internet development in the region.

Participation in and Tracking of Various Spaces

This year, it was decided that each organization will be following a series of spaces at the regional level for the purpose of exploring synergies and opportunities for coordinating participation and tracking.

Bilateral Meetings

Within the framework of the meeting, the different organizations held bilateral sessions for the purpose of identifying synergies and efficiently promoting joint actions.

Illegal Content Workshop

As usual, these organizations will continue to generate and promote capacity-building instances. Highlights for this year include the Illegal Content Workshop, an initiative traditionally led by LACTLD that will now be coordinated by the entire Technical Community. The workshop will be redesigned, and its agenda will include topics such as the latest challenges for Internet governance and the solutions proposed by experts in their respective fields. This workshop typically brings together prosecutors, law enforcement officers, members of the judiciary, cybersecurity professionals, and Internet stakeholders to share their insights and best practices for facing potential security and trust issues.

Latin American and Caribbean School of Digital Transformation and Innovation

Within this context and after the successful 2022 edition of the Latin American and Caribbean School of Digital Transformation and Innovation, the Technical Community consolidated its alliance with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (CETIC.br) to organize the 2023 edition of the School this September, in São Paulo, Brazil. The School will provide unique spaces for participants to share the latest news in technology with the officials responsible for taking action when faced with problems that require immediate solution. It will be a multistakeholder participation space that will seek to address a common challenge and guarantee Internet development for all.

Regular Events

Regular activities that allow interaction and commitment between technical community organizations to be part of their day to day will be maintained. This continued and permanent collaboration is clearly reflected in various initiatives and meeting spaces and events. ICANN76 will be held in March in Cancun, Mexico, and will include the LAC Space, an exclusive space for strategic dialogue between the different regional stakeholders. In May, Mérida will host LACNIC 39, an event that brings together multiple activities such as LACNOG presentations, the LAC-IX LAC Peering Forum, and many others. In October, the LACNIC 40-LACNOG 2023 meeting will continue to offer high-value activities for the construction of our community. In addition, throughout the year several training programs will be held to address technical issues such as universal acceptance, routing security, and the actions needed to avoid Internet fragmentation.

Collaboration between the different stakeholders is a strategic advantage for the advancement of Internet development in Latin America and the Caribbean. 2023 is destined to be a year of renewed commitment and progress towards the common goals of the region.

ABOUT THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN TECHNICAL COMMUNITY

The Latin American and Caribbean Technical Community is comprised of the Internet Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Society (ISOC), the Latin American and Caribbean ccTLD Association (LACTLD), the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Exchange Point Operators Association (LAC-IX), the Latin American and Caribbean Network Operators Group (LACNOG), and the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (RedCLARA). All of these organizations are headquartered at Casa de Internet for Latin America and the Caribbean (CILAC) in Montevideo, Uruguay. Each year, representatives of these organizations meet to address strategic issues for Internet development in the region, including the identification of opportunities to jointly implement actions that add value for the entire community.