The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to our discussion. Digital technologies have transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, connecting people, cultures and economies. However, these advancements also present challenges that transcend borders such as data privacy, cybersecurity, affordable access to digital resources.
Addressing these requires strong legislative frameworks and international cooperation. Today's session will explore how Parliaments can harmonize efforts to address digitization, challenges and maximize spends. We are joined today by distinguished parliamentarians.
Let me introduce our esteemed panelists. Her Excellency Ms. Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, a Senator from Pakistan focusing on South Asia Governments' challenges. She is the chairperson of standing commission on technology.
Honorable Mr. Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, a member of the Parliament of Norway emphasizing local data privacy and cybersecurity. Honorable Maria Elago, a member of the Parliament from Namibia. Eisa AlOtaiby, the Chairman of communication and information in the community. Mrs. Pamela Calletti, she is a member of the Parliament from Argentina promoting digital inclusion and regional cooperation in Latin America.
Welcome to all of our great panelists. We have many areas to discuss, and we will dive into the first panel. That is basically showing how we can use digitization to expand.
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>> We have an Internet Governance Council which has, which included there are organisations, telecommunication operators and different other NGO's including the regulatory members who all together are influencing the policies of the Internet Governance itself. Because sometimes we face the challenge of the lack of knowledge both in the Government or the Parliament because of the rapid growth of the technology itself so Armenia wants to share its knowledge in a different way. So one of the ways, of course, in participation of this kind of valuable Conference, and another way is, of course, creating the frameworks that we already have as an example and sharing that with our partners. For example, we have in the IPU, International Parliamentary Union there is a science and technology Working Group trying to contribute also in the framework of these Working Groups as well as different international organisations.
I think at the digital excellency and digital agenda is the thing that no country can survive or have success because it's interconnectivity, the first. In cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, in Blockchain technologies, everywhere, if we don't shape our policies, we'll become very much a localized, which is not bringing to a growth.
So we should be more of internationalized. Of course, there are some other questions that are arising, for example, digital sovereignty in that kind of when we move to that direction. However, there is no other way of having a balance, the right balance to be open and to be protected and to be integrated and also to have a digital sovereignty. So we are open for cooperation and we are thankful to the other countries and the states for sharing their experience. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: That is a huge stride to innovation, Your Excellency. Moving to Mrs. Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan given the challenges of regulatory fragmentation, how can Pakistan Parliament lead in fostering digital cooperation?
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: Thank you very much. I would once again like to thank IGF and the Shura Council for giving us this opportunity. So I believe that all of us are sitting here, some are from the developing world and some are from the developed world. Each have their own particular environments and no two environments are the same. Each of us have our own pace in this march towards connectivity and digital Resolution and our pace is shaped by our circumstances, and by, when I say circumstances, I mean all of us are politically different. All of us are, I mean, culturally different.
We are economically at different places, so we have our challenges. So we are not going to march at the same pace together, but, of course, I mean even standing where Pakistan is standing today, I call it a success story because Pakistan is a youthful country. More than 60% of the population are below 30 years of age. So that's a huge something that helps us go ahead with this Resolution, and I would like to praise the young people, I have met so many who have come here on their own yesterday, and I was surprised to see the number of people, the number of youngsters who have come on their own, and they are here spending their own money and trying to be a part of this very important Conference. So that really surprised me, although I am at chairperson of the Senate standing Committee on information technology and I keep hearing, but seeing them at this global forum, now I realize that these are, this is our success story. The 60% of population that is young and open to ideas and very tech savvy is our future.
And I would also like to say in Pakistan perhaps the Government has not supported the IT industry as it should have because you have economic problems, you have security problems, you have a host of problems. But this, this Resolution has been led by the youth of Pakistan, and they have done it by their own efforts, and the main force in leading this Resolution is their own hard work, they are reaching out to the rest of the world, and by, you know, by merit and their hard work, they have managed to create a vibrant IT industry in Pakistan where we have a huge number of freelancers who make their living by pursuing different projects worldwide, and that makes me very proud to say that these people have penetrated the global IT industry.
There are many who are working everywhere in the world. There are many who work in Pakistan, but there are many who are a part of the global IT Resolution. I would also like to say that this the purely by merit and determination.
And we are very optimistic that we will convert, a young population is a plus point as a human resource that we have, and we are going to make the best use of it.
And they are the ones who are going to drive this story of prosperity like to mention that we are the fourth largest, we have the fourth largest number of freelancers in the world today.
And believe me, we have to do more for them. We try and, the Government tries and they are trying to do more and make policies which I will come back to later. But they are themselves, you know, the credit goes to the young people of Pakistan.
And I think it's a great success story. This is where the Parliament is trying to step in, will step in to ensure that we do whatever we can do to make this go many steps ahead.
>> MODERATOR: Wonderful. I wanted to echo what you have said how youth are the driving force and this is what we have seen in Saudi where youth is the cornerstone of the vision 2030 transformation in Saudi Arabia.
Moving to Mr. Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, we would like to hear more about the Parliament in your country in shaping the international digital governance frameworks.
>> SIGBJØRN GJELSVIK: Thank you so much Excellencies and distinguished. It's an honour to be here, and in our interconnected world Parliaments play a key role in shaping digital governance. We must ensure digital policies are inclusive, secure and beneficial for all.
In Norway we have seen the benefits of strong digital policies. These policies promote inclusivity and security. We aim to create a legislative environment that encourages innovation while protecting rights and privacy. However, the spread of social media and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have made it possible to spread disinformation faster and to more people than before.
It's increases national security challenges. Norway believes the Internet should remain open and accessible. We are committed to supporting the Global Digital Compact with the goal of connecting all people to the Internet.
This will require significant investment from Governments and stakeholders, especially the Private Sector. However, we must also ensure that everyone can use the Internet meaningfully and safely. The Internet Governance Forum is crucial for maintaining universal, free and secure Internet. It must continue as a bottom up multistakeholder platform for dialogue on Internet policy issues.
Increasing diversity in the IGF participation is essential. And Norway will encourage growth participation in next year's IGF in Norway.
We are committed to working against Internet shutdowns and protecting the right to information and freedom of speech. Human rights are important to protect and promote both online and in our physical world.
We will continue to work with partners and the IGF against all forms of online violence in accordance with international standards and human rights law.
Last year, I led an innovation in IGF Japan as Norway's Minister for digital policy. We worked to promote an open, global and free Internet emphasizing the importance of avoiding state relations that hinders development and innovation.
It's a pleasure to continue my participation here in Riyadh as a member of Parliament this year. And I look forward to contributing to next year's IGF which Norway will host in June 2025. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: Indeed Norway is providing really an exemplary, I would say it's an exemplary leader especially in data governance, cybersecurity and data security as well. It's nice to hear all of these stories.
Moving to Maria, so Namibia plays a crucial role in advancing Africa's digital transformation strategy. How can Namibia Parliaments ensure its national ICT goals align with broader regional efforts.
>> MARIA ELAGO: Thank you very much for the opportunity. I would like to thank the IGF organizers for inviting me. I feel honored to be here.
Parliament are more than policymakers, they are the architect of fair, inclusive and secure digital future. Namibia has already taken impressive steps forward providing that progress does not always require massive population. It requires clear vision and action.
Take Namibia's access to information, number 8 of 2022, it's a big step forward towards transparency and empowering citizens with the tools to make informed decisions but here, here is the thing. Access alone is not enough. Digital information must be clear, understandable, and available in languages that resonate with people, otherwise it is like giving someone the key to a library, but the books are written in a language they don't speak.
Namibia's digital strategies align well with regional and global priorities. Look at Saudi Arabia's vision 2030 which balances innovation with governance. Namibia is already on focused on expanding information and communication technology ICT access. Creating digital job opportunities and supporting E governance. The challenge now is accelerating this momentum through strong policies that make sure no one gets left behind.
Most importantly, Namibia must continue to have a seat on global platforms like the United Nations digital forums and the Africa development community SADIG.
The population size does not define leadership vision. Reforming governance in the digital age isn't easy, but Namibia is showing that with determination it is absolutely achievable. I thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much, honorable Maria. It's great to hear all of these advances. Moving to Eisa AlOtaiby and with Saudi Arabia digital governance and global forums like G20, how can the it support the international efforts to digital frameworks?
>> EISA ALOTAIBY: Thank you so much for moderating this important session and it's a pleasure to join this panel, and I would like to extend my warm welcoming to everyone here to be in Saudi Arabia.
Now, to address your question actually the Shura Council has a shared responsibility to ensure that that digital transformation benefits everyone, not just for specific region or for specific groups.
Therefore the question becomes how do we achieve that? Well, the first things or the first is to recognize that digitization is a global movement. This means that no single nation can manage it's opportunities or its challenges alone. Why? Because it's, it has reflected on all of us worldwide.
Here in Saudi Arabia, we have involved in the past couple of years in efforts such as the G20 Digital Economy Working Group, which has been on issues such as AI ethics and digital taxation.
Secondly, in our Sura Council needs to continue to actively engage in shaping international digital governance framework, and we can harmonize legislation across border to create compatible data privacy and data protection and cybersecurity standards.
Another role for our Shura Council could be to ensure more inclusivity. This means providing better access to digital transformation and digital infrastructure in underserved regions within and across different countries.
As lawmaker, we can actually allocate essential resources to better prioritize in general. Also the Shura Council should be better in protecting against the future of emerging technology by adapting legislation for that reason.
Finally, I would just like to say that in doing so, our Shura Council can continue to serve as a bridge between Government, civil society, and Private Sector and international bodies in the shaping of international digital governance framework in the future. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Dr. Eisa AlOtaiby. And I can reflect on what you are saying because we have seen it on a daily basis, all of these governance kind of activities that we are facing or living in Saudi Arabia including the PDPL, there is the MDMO regulations, there is the ethical guidelines for performing AI which is something that have been implemented in both private/public sectors. So this is a reality we are facing on a daily basis. Thank you for your input.
Moving to Mrs. Pamela Calletti, Argentina is focused on digital governance and regional cooperation is critical for Latin America. What role should the Argentinian Parliament play in shaping the digital policies?
>> PAMELA CALLETTI: Good afternoon. I'm Argentinian so I'm going to speak in Spanish. So in a world that we can consider traditional cooperation between regions is inevitable when we talk about the digital world where the interconnectivity is essentially in the DNA of cooperation. We cannot imagine not having cross border cooperation, right?
But let me clarify that when we talk about the digital world and the real world, definitely there is only one reality is it's two sides of one coin. And today virtuality is reality, and this is not difference that's just intellectual, but it has factual implications because it indeed implies that the human is the beginning, the end and the centre of every single one of our actions regardless of which stage of this human life is moving in or the human rights of this person.
So in this way the world we call traditional or historical interrupts or disrupts technologies. It implies transition that is not really in humanity.
Let's consider the scientific revolution, Copernicus, Newton. Imagine the disruption they had in the status quo in social relationships and economy and the cultural revolution the renaissance implied, for example, where they have a centric vision where human was the centre of everything that happened. Industrial Revolution, imagine the gap that was created when there was industrial revolution in gender, in the difference between rural and the urban, the way people related to each other, the revolution now in technology and communication as well, radio, the Internet, television, and now we are talking about the digital revolution.
So we mean with crypto, AI, quantum computing, and we shouldn't lose sight that all of these technologies are tools that should benefit humanity.
So what's the role we can have as Parliamentarians? I believe in first place we should reduce the drama in the situation. This is just something normal that humanity has been through so many times. As I said, in the industrial revolution or any of these other historical moments, and we all came through.
So remember that human, the person, should be always at the centre. So let's lose all prejudice and all fear and biased interest in this and understand that all of these challenges are going to be faced in a collaborative manner, Private Sector, CSOs, the parliamentarians, and the scientific community, the academia, the technical community, and the citizens.
Since we were kids and let's say the history of humanity in the traditional way, we learned to be citizens in this traditional world. However, now there are all of us beyond our citizenship regardless if we are Argentinian, Arab, Norwegian, we are digital citizens inside and outside. So there is a big role in education, I believe that parliamentarians should lose this prejudice because we are lawmakers, we create legislation and we have an advantage that we can create new laws that create rights and obligations. The limitation though is the territorial aspect. So that's a challenge for us as lawmakers. The cooperation at local, regional and international levels.
At the end as lawmakers, we shouldn't forget that when we create a law or a rule, it has an advantage. It has different possibilities to create public measures, but it also takes time to create these laws, and technologies are advancing so fast that when we are trying to create frameworks and legal environments, we shouldn't forget that we have to keep in mind the logic of the technologies that we are trying to regulate.
>> MODERATOR: I really like what you are saying that all of these regulations need to be human centered at the end because we are all digital citizens at the end. So we covered the first pillar and we really have these great insights by our great panelists.
Let's move to the second pillar which is, will dive deep into the challenges that the Parliament face in actively contributing to the global digital governance frameworks.
So I will start with Your Excellency, Armenia works to enhance its digital infrastructure requirement, so what do you think the Armenian plans of supporting that extension of the infrastructure to allow international connectivity?
>> EISA ALOTAIBY: First, I would like to reflect to what my colleague from Argentina just said about drama. I believe every industrial revolution brought drama with it starting from the engines to the electricity and then to the Internet, and now AI. And the humanity should grow and the technology will grow. We want it or not, but we should grow further and, of course, and drama comes with the lack of information or lack of knowledge, but we should not be afraid of being more digitalized or more smart and use more technologies.
I think it creates more opportunities for every one of us, and especially for the future generations to have more access to the health, to the information as my colleague from Norway said, and be more free, have more rights.
So coming from, to the infrastructure, thanks for the questions. Armenia has been a long time in, has close border with the neighbor of Azerbaijan and the other neighbor of Turkiye so now we have a new initiative that Armenian Government which is called cross roads of peace. So in that concept, our proposal is to open all of the roads and the railways that are blocked right now, and also include connectivity pipelines if we may say which will go, connect east to the west and the north with the south.
Right now there are large infrastructure projects happening in Armenia and we think that connectivity and infrastructure will bring prosperity as well as will bring stability and peace among all of the countries. Also it will connect international capacities with each other, the countries in the larger region so they will have also their attention to our region.
So this is the new and large initiatives which I would like to also call our international partners to support and to also contribute, maybe have their businesses there as it is, those are infrastructures that will also bring health and prosperity to the people, and to the businesses as well.
Another part of the connectivity projects is, of course, satellite communication, and which we already allocated the frequencies and gave the licenses to the Private Sector so they can organize also satellite communication, Internet communication. And it was, I very much agree with the colleague from Norway when he said about freedom of speech, but I would like to also add the digitization process helps the transparency of the bureaucracy of the countries, and it also helps prevention of the corruption and doing business in with a free Internet and free connectivity. I think when my colleague from Pakistan said that many people are working through the information and having their money as a freelancer, why do they do that? Because you provide the free Internet as well as you give them the public policy that gives them enough transparency and less bureaucracy to make their business in the right way.
This direction is also familiar for Armenia. We just adopted a law that gives the privilege to the freelancers for just 1% of the revenue fee as a tax, and that's it. So it's very easy. You make your money. You pay 1% to the Government, and that's it. And with one click. And the tax system, taxation system is all digitized. Every business enjoys it and, of course, the risk prevention is also AI based, so it's also helps the Government to be transparent and free of corruption. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much indeed, transparency will boost the digital economy. I 100% agree with you. Mrs. to Mrs., Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, given Pakistan's effort and the challenges in regulatory apologies, I'm just repeating the question, but let me rephrase it again. So Pakistan faces challenges such as an uneven adoption and cybersecurity threats. How can the Parliament address these obstacles to strengthen its role in global governance.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: Thank you, it was not very clear, but I still feel what I said in the beginning is a base on which I will now make my argument. Pakistan faces a number of challenges in this digital age, and how we embrace them is also, it's quite an effort, and it's a very delicate balance.
Some of the important challenges that we are currently facing I just tell you a few. The top is the cybersecurity threats that we face. Pakistan faces increasing cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure including energy, banking, public services, and according to an estimate, spyware attacks in Pakistan witnessed an alarming surge in the first quarter of this current year escalating by a staggering 300 percent just in this year.
Compared to the same period in 2023. So there is a signal that there is a growing menace of espionage and data infiltration. So the thing is that most of these, about 22% of these detected high severity incidents are recorded in the Government sector followed by the IT companies, and then closely followed by financial institution and industries and so on, so forth.
So our biggest challenge is to counter these cybersecurity threats, and Pakistan has risen to the tier 1 role modeling rating and is now amongst the top 40 countries in the global cybersecurity index. So we are making progress and this has been issues by the ITU.
So it's a notable improvement from our position which was about 79th position a few years ago. So this advancement reflects that Pakistan is dedicated to strengthening its cybersecurity, but, and then we also have problems with data privacy and governance.
We have had an absence of comprehensive personal data protection, and we felt how it left citizens white vulnerable. So the need pushes the Parliament to legislate on it. It is this Personal Data Protection Act is an Act that we have been working on for the past many months, and it is now almost in the final stages of being made an Act. It's going to be passed.
We also have concerns on unregulated data collection. That also requires parliamentary intervention. We have a lot of data and currently we have regulations regarding data protection.
I won't bore you with a long list. But then I come to the other, the third greatest challenge we have, which is, of course, the digital divide. It is the digital divide in the world. There is a digital divide within countries. So in case of Pakistan also, we are not all, in all of Pakistan is not digitally connected equally. So there is a great divide, and that is, of course, based on areas that are hard to reach and the political environments that exist in those areas, of course, then we also have our, you know, the legal environment, you have political environments, we have our social issues.
So in terms of Pakistan, this is one of the key areas that we are now going to be addressing, that we are addressing. So I will tell you a few things that we are going to be doing currently. We are going to be starting, we are going to start auctioning our 5G spectrum very soon, our 4G network coverage is now almost 80%, 81%, and that is 81% in 2024 our average broadband connection speed is improved much better than what it was last year, and then our exports have now $3.25 billion. This is where we get an idea of how IT can help a staggering economy. And this is where the youth come in because this is, you just my colleague was mentioning how Governments create environments for the youth to make this difference, but in Pakistan's case they have made us realize, and they have pushed us to take a part in active policy making to help them.
So I will not take the credit away from them. Also then the AI. AI needs to be regulated and especially in countries like ours where political environments are quite, can be hostile and we as a nation are very emotional. We do not hesitate to take to the streets, and then we find out later that the news is fake. So in order to avoid this, we are in the process of, Pakistan is amongst a few countries regulating the use of AI and in this regard we have a statement to build AI by 2024 which is being introduced and it's being debated. So we will ensure lawmakers first artificial intelligence policy and we will announce it by early 2025. So these are some of the issues that we face, and the others, I mean, there are a host of issues, but the others are maybe I can somehow touch upon them.
>> MODERATOR: I think there are many great step have been taken I think starting with the data foundation by doing some sort of regulation. Maybe this is a topic if we have time later on we could touch base on how do you manage between extreme regulation and also innovation because some regulation might impede steps in innovation, but maybe this is in a later discussion. I will need to move to you, Mr. Sigbjørn Gjelsvik to talk more about what sort of challenges that you face in Norway, and what are the steps that have been taken to face them?
>> SIGBJØRN GJELSVIK: Thank you so much. I think we must acknowledge the challenges in the space of digital governance. One major challenge is the rapid pace of technological change. Legislators often struggle to keep up leading to outdated policies. Another challenge is the lack of technical experience. Many parliamentarians do not have background in digital technologies. This can make it hard to understand and also address complex issues.
This can hinder effective legislation. Balancing a national interest with global cooperation is also a challenge. We must protect our citizens and companies while working together to create international frameworks. This requires balance and also compromises. To overcome these challenges, we must invest in capacity building. Parliamentarians need the tools and knowledge to address digital issues. We must foster a culture of a continuous learning and collaboration, both within our Parliaments and internationally.
Norway is committed to ensuring Internet development sustainably. We believe that IGF should remain a vital platform for open dialogue on Internet Governance.
We are also committed to working against Internet shutdowns and protecting the right to information and freedom of speech. Our new Electronic Communication Act in Norway strengthens security and consumer rights. This legislation ensures our digital infrastructure is secure and protects consumer rights.
Reflecting our commitment to safe and inclusive digital environment. I will also say additionally the Norwegian Government is working on the strategy particularly strengthening the resilience in our population against disinformation. This strategy highlights that fighting disinformation requires working together for a strong democracy where citizens have access to correct and reliable information that promotes freedom and diversity of expression. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much.
Honorable Maria Namibia faces challenges of bridging the digital divide which is something we have touched base with. How do you see the Parliaments in Namibia basically looking into the issue, solving the issues within Namibia?
>> MARIA ELAGO: Thank you very much. Namibia, like many other countries also face challenges, but we are solving them step by step. Number one, bridging the digital divide. We are in underserved areas lack strong connectivity, but Namibia is tackling this through national broadband policy, which aims to ensure that Internet access reaches the most remote communities.
This is not just about infrastructure. It's about giving every citizen a fair chance to participate in the digital economy.
Number two, staying ahead of emerging technologies. Digital literacy is a key. Technologies like artificial intelligence, software that can think and learn and Blockchain, a secure way of managing digital data are becoming central to global systems.
Namibia's Parliament is catching up quickly by prioritizing SST ICT skills and training programmes ensuring lawmakers and citizens alike understand and embrace these innovations.
Number three, representation on global platforms. Namibia may not yet be as loud as others in the global conversation, but our presence is growing. Events like this, events like this one allow Namibia to share its success and learn from Global Leaders. Participation is our strength and we are providing that we belong at the table.
Challenges are not setbacks, they are opportunities to innovate. Namibia is taking steady strides and our Parliament is well positioned to shape governance. Frameworks that are both globally relevant and locally impactful. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Moving to Dr. Eisa AlOtaiby, and I think the Saudi Arabia vision 2030 aims for digital leadership, but we see cybersecurity and data privacy remain key focuses at the time being. How do you see the Shura Council will help to manage these priorities?
>> EISA ALOTAIBY: Thank you, and to address this question, let's break it down into key points. Firstly, the incredible speed of changing technology has made it harder for legislative bodies to keep pace, especially when addressing issues around technology concepts such as AI or Blockchain. Therefore the Shura Council has already trained on all aspects of digital governance. This way we are giving equal priority to all three aspects, digital leadership, data privacy, and cybersecurity.
Secondly, since the global coordination and this is one of the main reasons why we are all sitting here today, different countries have different priorities, but by coming together like today, we can figure out and see the best way to balance the priorities of digital leadership, cybersecurity and data privacy. This is something actually Saudi Arabia has already been working on by hosting events such as cybersecurity, global cybersecurity forum and also global artificial intelligence Summit. Where colleague from across the country or the world brought together to discuss the future of emerging technology.
Thirdly, one major challenge is the, as my colleague said, is the lack of coordination between the Government and the Parliament. To address this, the Shura Council is still working closely with the Government ministries to develop digital policies under Saudi Vision 2030.
Actually we have already created, signed, passed and implemented 13 regulation laws related to Government, related to governing the Internet and information technology such as personal data protection law, anticybercrime law, and also telecommunication and information technology law.
We have also passed and implemented more than 24 international memorandums on information technology. We are proud to say that Saudi Arabia currently ranks fifth globally out of 140 countries for the speed of its Internet, and we were number one in the global cybersecurity in 2024. Finally Saudi Arabia was ranked as the second in communication and IT Development Index which issued by the ITU in 2024.
This is something we are extremely proud of as we feel it shows our ability to effectively balance the priority of digital leadership, cybersecurity, and data privacy. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: Wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. Finally moving to Ms. Pamela Calletti, average efforts in digital inclusion and broadband expansion are promising but resources and constraints persist. How can the Parliament address these challenges?
>> PAMELA CALLETTI: Well, it is quite difficult to talk about my colleagues that had such profound participations, but in general in Argentina as in many other countries, we are dealing with local challenges, regional challenges, and also international challenges and I would like to mention five of these ones, but before that I want to start by saying or mentioning one of them, which is the digital gap that our parliamentary colleagues were mentioning.
I would like to start by giving an example. I come from Argentina, from a province in the north. I don't come from the capital, but from a quite poor province, and we are next to Bolivia, and we have people in the rural areas that don't have access to the Internet, which is their reality of a lot of people in the Global South. So there is policy from our Government and we recently provided different things for the connection of these children in rural areas. These cross the river through donkeys to get to different schools, then we manage to install them and we managed to, host the World Cup and Argentina won to the children were very happy to be able to watch the World Cup, but it's very crazy the fact that Argentina for digital connection should cross a river on a donkey because our children actually go to school by donkey, and this is a reality globally.
So which are these challenges? Well, clearly, disinformation. Disinformation which actually when it's rooted, it is very, very dangerous. Let's think about COVID. Cybersecurity counts on more and more attacks but they are always more and more precise and it requires technical abilities of people that are not prepared enough. So obviously in Latin America and Argentina this is more so.
Also the gap among the different employees, workers that require more abilities, therefore, we need to have more participation, more capacity building. Also the gap of access to technology, first to infrastructure, when it's a thing that in the world one out of three people are disconnected.
And I used to say, I said earlier that the virtual is real. And one out of three people, but moreover, in the case of Latin America and Argentina it is one out of two people. So we are six people here. So is one out of three, it would mean only four have access, but most likely Maria from Namibia and I most probably would have the worst connection because not only we come from the southern hemisphere, but we are also women.
So one of the three are disconnected as I said in my country, one out of two. So you should also look to your left and to your right, either one of you would be connected and the other one wouldn't be or if they are, would be, wouldn't be connected, and also wouldn't have the translator to understand because they don't have these abilities. This is the issue of the digital gap. We also have the age gap. Seniors 60 plus years old are also disconnected. So we have many challenges in terms of these digital gaps, so it is clearly fundamental that we should reduce these and each Resolution having best generated these gaps and we didn't manage to overcome them, but now they have deepened so we need international cooperation.
And I also want to mention the other challenges, disinformation also information manipulation, cybersecurity because if we don't have data governance, we don't have cybersecurity. In that case we are not going to have actual governance AI governance. We cannot talk about responsible AI governance if we don't have data governance.
Also the environmental impact, the environmental impact of this digital innovation, this is something we need to tackle. This is a great opportunity because AI allows as well to advance in the reduction of this environmental impact.
And then finally, data privacy. It is fundamental as well, and when it's a thing that citizens, all of us, we give our data, we don't know whom to, but people who monetize data. And if I told you now that all of us are going to give our phones our data, our medical data, purchasing data over to anyone or to the state, what would you say? You would say, well, it would be great. All of the citizens are providing all of this data. They are being monetized and by a click otherwise we would be out of the system. So in this sense, we shouldn't be scared of regulation. Regulation is not about prohibiting, it's actually an important condition so we have a sustainable level that is inclusive and Democratic. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much Maria. or Pamela, I'm sorry.
I see there are many common challenges that have been mention add cross different countries. Just to be cautious of time, we I'm going to skip one of the pillars that we wanted to discuss today. And we will move to the great news that Norway will host next IGF in June 2025. So this is a question to you, Mr. Sigbjørn Gjelsvik. What do you see the actionable outcomes that should emerge for Parliament from this IGF?
>> SIGBJØRN GJELSVIK: Well, thank you so much, and as Norway prepares to host the next IGF in June 2025, I envision actionable outcomes that empowers Parliaments. We need capacity building programmes for parliamentarians. These programmes should enhance digital literacy, understanding of emerging technologies and skills to address digital challenges.
We should establish a global network of parliamentarians. This network would facilitate continuous dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaboration, by working together, we can harmonize legislation, address common challenges and promote best practices.
We should focus on creating actionable policy recommendations. This should address key issues like cybersecurity, data privacy, digital inclusion, and ethical use of technology.
I hope the next IGF will foster stronger partnership between Parliaments and other stakeholders. These partnerships are essential for our cohesive and inclusive digital future.
Norway will work to uphold freedom of expression, equality, media diversity and resilience against disinformation.
We also aim to promote an international legal order in the digital space. Let us ensure that the next IGF builds on our progress and drives meaningful exchange.
Our new Electronic Communication Act in Norway included provision for broadband access for all. This legislation ensures everyone in Norway has access to functional Internet, and that our digital infrastructure is robust and secure.
The recent adoption of the landmark Resolution on the impact of AI on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law at the EPU assembly in Geneva highlights the importance of a responsible AI governance.
The Resolution calls for transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights in AI development. It emphasize the need to address AI driven misinformation, gender based violence, and economic inequalities.
These principles should guide our efforts as we move forward. 2025 is a special year for the Internet Governance Forum. It marks the 20th anniversary of the IGF and the year the UN will review the forum's mandate.
The event in Norway will celebrate the global multistakeholder model of Internet Governance and set the course for its future organisation. I'm pleased that the UN has awarded Norway the hosting of the IGF in 2025 showing trust in our ability to bring together the global community for important discussions about the Internet's future role.
Open discussions about the Internet Governance and close international cooperation are crucial to ensuring the Internet remains open, safe, and free for everyone.
As the host country, Norway will facilitate an inclusive forum where Governments, the Private Sector, civil society, Academia, technical experts and international and intergovernmental organisations can exchange knowledge and viewpoints.
Together we will address the challenges we face. This multistakeholder model is the cornerstone of the IGF and the global Internet Governance.
Today the Internet is one of the world's most important infrastructures. It's governed through a multistakeholder model where all relevant parties collectively handle its challenges and governance. And Norway wants this governance model to be preserved and strengthened in the United Nations. We participated in are last year in Japan and now Riyadh this year. I look forward to contribute to next year's IGF which Norway will host in June 2025, and I will welcome you warmly to Norway next June. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: We all look forward to IGF 2025 in Norway. Now, it's time for reflection session. So I am going to ask all of our great Parliaments who are with us today to give us a one actionable step that you think your Parliament can take to strengthen the global digital governance starting with you, Your Excellency.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: Thank you. Of course, it's difficult after this fruitful discussion to come up with one action item. I think as my colleague just announced the IGF 2025 in Norway, we are going to participate to that, with the delegation from the Parliament and we will do contributions to that. I think this is the first that come to my mind, thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: Could you kindly repeat?
>> MODERATOR: Basically if there is one actionable outcome that you think from the discussion that we had today that you think your Parliament can take to strengthen the global digital governance.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: I feel my esteemed colleague from Norway has made, it's a point we need to, maybe we should have a collaboration between all of the Parliaments and have a global forum for enhancement in facilitating global digital governance and enact laws that go hand in hand together, and foster collaboration contributing to international dialogue towards that. I feel such a forum would be very productive, and it would go a long way in removing most of the hurdles that we have and we communicate with each other's Parliaments which we do like Pakistan is part of many legal and legislative initiatives for alignment with global standards, but if such a forum comes into being, I think many things will be streamlined.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much. What about you, what do you think the one actionable outcome that you want or steps that your Parliament can take?
>> SIGBJORN GJELSVIK: I want to add one thing. I think it's very important to have cooperation between different partners and keep this multistakeholder model, and, of course, it's partnership with Private Sector, technical community, civil society, and the international organisations, but I want to add one more thing that hasn't been said. One successful initiative for us is our collaboration with youth leaders and engaging with young people in the digital sphere has provided valuable insights. So this ensures our policies reflect needs and aspirations. So I hope for the next year IGF that we will engage and collaborate a lot with the youth leaders. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Wonderful. Maria Elago, are there any thoughts you would like to share.
>> MARIA ELAGO: Thank you very much. We are learning from global examples, and we are going to adopt strategy that makes sense for us, whether it is expanding ICT and structure supporting that, or empowering our communities. Namibia is providing some small nations can dream. If we can have a budget for training, it will be good for us in Namibia.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Dr. Eisa AlOtaiby.
>> EISA ALOTAIBY: Thank you, I think from my opinion collaboration can only work if all of the stakeholders believe in one shared vision. So I suggest that we need to work together and define a clear and transparent dialogue mechanism. Let me give you one example of that. We can create national digital transformation Councils which would bring together parliamentarians and representative from different sector and from different country to align on the necessary policies and implemented the strategies. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Mrs. Pamela Calletti, your thoughts?
>> PAMELA CALLETTI: Okay. To conclude, I would like to convey a very simple message, but very direct as well that is based on four questions that have four different possible answers, what, who, what, and what for. The what, I think is necessary to create a framework, a general framework regulatory one. For technologies that can respect the logic of these technologies but that puts humanity in the centre. The how, as my colleagues mentioned, through collaboration in regional and international levels. The IGF is a clear example of a global platform that's open, multistakeholder and where all of the voices from different sectors are combined to achieve solutions.
I also want to highlight the great work from the parliamentary track has been doing, and the team that has coordinated this that has allowed parliamentarians to have a conversation, share good practices, regulation so that we can strengthen our capabilities to face these challenges. Also who, all of the people involves, of course, Private Sector, Academia, technical personnel, public sector, parliamentarians, for example, that's why the parliamentary track is a good way to do this, the CSOs and citizens in general and what for, which I think is the beginning and the end of all conversations all technologies no matter which ones are used in the benefit of humanity where humans, their rights and dignity are the light house for every decision we make. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much.
I notice that most of you have been actually highlighting the world collaboration. So and a few minutes, if you can, just dive deep into how do you have or how do you implement strategies that could foster collaboration through the Parliament starting with you, Your Excellency as we see that Armenia has a growing digital ecosystem. If you could highlight how do you encourage such a partnership and collaboration?
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: I think we have two main collaborative bodies in Armenia. One is the science and technology development Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, to the head of the Government, and we have, I am the leader of the Executive Committee in that body. I am a parliamentarian.
We basically, the thing is that there is also a gap between the Government and the Parliament. Of course, we work in the same country even, however, the ministries, for example, Ministry of High tech industries the full job is technology and digitization. In the Parliament it's legislative work. It's in general. And that's it. We might lack of knowledge, we might lack of information, we might lack of different kinds of things which creates some gaps between these two bodies.
And we created this Advisory Council that engaged two parliamentarians, one is the vice speaker and the other one the head of the commission. The second one and also we have there scientists, entrepreneurs, different kind of technology company leaders who are also bringing in their experience, which is the strategic future of the country, like the Government programmes that would be implemented. It's strategic.
And the second one is, of course, a digitization and Internet where we have Internet Governance Council where it is also created by the Prime Minister and the parliamentarians or the industry experts, everyone is there and the regulatory and also the ministry is also there.
And these are the two main bodies. One is science and technology. Another one is connectivity and Internet Governance. So these are the two bodies who are giving us a look to the future and a strategic point of view. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: What about you, if you could highlight the Government stakeholders in the Parliament.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMAD ZAI KHAN: We are already adopting global frameworks, as I said. We are also in into regional collaboration. For example, the SAARC countries, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. We participate in initiatives to harmonize our trade, environmental and technology laws. Similarly and I will give an example we are part of China's initiative and Pakistan shows legal compatibility in areas such as digital trade and action.
Furthermore, we are also, we also collaborate with the regional partners to address challenges related to cross border data flow. We also ensure participation in international forums such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum also the very important Financial Action Task Force. We also have extradition treaties, that's interesting to, for the extradition of cyber criminals. We have mutual legal assistance agreements. We have our training programmes and capacity building, but in the Pakistani Parliament we have a tradition of having caucuses and friendship groups. For example, other than my responsibilities as a legislator, I'm also, I also head the friendship group for Argentina. So all of us have a friendship group.
Similarly, if there is an initiative, we could perhaps form a caucus for collaborating on digital issues with the rest of the world. Let's say we are already, it's a tested experiment as far as SAARC is concerned which is an important big body. We have many important youth countries of the South Asian region so we can expand it and we could are mutual agreements in the Parliaments. That's not very difficult.
I mean, my colleague from Armenia knows it's fairly easy for the speaker or the Chairman of Senate or Parliament to initial this, and then when it gets initiated it's above bureaucratic controls. Parliament is above bureaucratic controls and Parliament can take initiative without going through lengthy procedures.
So my, and I would go back and advise my own Chairman of the Senate to try and form such a forum and then reach out to all of the countries that are represented in Pakistan.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you for sharing, how Parliament manage the partnership, the collaboration between the private and the public sector in your country.
>> SIGBJØRN GJELSVIK: It's very essential that we could have a greater collaboration between Parliaments and the stakeholders, and I think also that we must establish some formal mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation. For example, some regular meeting points or Working Groups and perhaps also some collaborative projects that can bring together parliamentarians industry experts and civil society in common projects.
These platforms are allow us to share knowledge, discuss challenges and develop solutions together. So I think that it's a very important question here at the end to discuss how we can develop this kind of cooperation, and like my colleague from Pakistan just mentioned, regional cooperation is also very important. In the Nordic countries has a long tradition in our region have working together on digital issues, and the regional approach can serve as a model for other parts of the world as well, and not just only the Nordic countries, but we also have a lot of cooperation with the Baltic countries, so in our region, it's very important to have this kind of cooperation.
But also, of course, on the international level, and we will also take part in the European cooperation and also follow the discussions inside the European Union about new legislation and also adopt it in Norway.
And finally, Norway, of course, is very dedicated as I pointed out to improve the multistakeholder model. And the Internet is crucial for businesses and we aim to promote in industry also into this cooperation. So keep to the multistakeholder model, but I think it's very important to have some tools and also have some cooperation, some Working Group that make some progress between these forums that is very important every year. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: 100% agree. Honorable Maria, we haven't based base on the entrepreneurship. So how do you do this in your Parliament? How do you manage to foster collaboration between the Private Sector, inventors and entrepreneurship just to boost the entrepreneurship?
>> MARIA ELAGO: Thank you. Namibia already has some of the building blocks in place like number one, public private partnership. Namibia startup ecosystem is growing, driven by young innovative entrepreneurs. Parliament can strengthen this by creating policies that support digital businesses like tax incentives, grants and pave the pathways like in South Africa innovation apps have shown how public private collaboration can create jobs and solutions. Namibia can take this approach even further. Number two, inclusive policy making. Strong digital governance comes from listening to everyone.
Every citizen, businesses and civil society Namibia's access to information lays the ground work for inclusive decision making. Imagine Town Halls or digital consultation where people even in remote regions can voice their concern and ideas. Investing in digital education Namibia has already prioritized ICT in schools, but we can go further by fostering partnership with global organisations like the AU or the UNESCO Digital Literacy Programmes. Ensuring young Namibians understand tools like AI and cybersecurity doesn't just prepare them for jobs, it prepares them to lead.
Lastly, we must remember that governance creates truck. Innovation is exciting, but it can be risky. Strong laws and collaborative efforts ensure that digital tools save people, not exploiting them. Thank you.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much. I think we have only one minute left. I would like to quickly hear your thoughts, Dr. Eisa AlOtaiby about the international collaboration that the sure Shura can foster collaboration with international organisation for the digital frameworks?
>> EISA ALOTAIBY: Thank you so much. We can continue to create new strategies, actually, and I would say that most important one would be to build on the foundation of current and new trust based partnerships.
Actually here in Saudi Arabia under our digital Government strategies, we have adopted cooperation between the Private Sector and the public institution developed more effective smart services.
And the movement to global, we can help Parliament talk about their priorities in forums such as the United Nations Global Digital Compact which we already are a part of it.
Also we actually would like to learn more from frameworks or emerging challenges such as Europe Union General Data Protection, the GDP regulation, and also the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy, and last but not least from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Digital Economy. All of these initiatives actually involve input from business, Government, and technical communities and will ensure a more balanced and inclusive approach as we go forward. Thank you so much.
>> MODERATOR: Thank you so much. A final thought, Mrs. Pamela Calletti before we wrap up? A final thought on what would be collaboration, what would be the role of the Parliaments to foster collaboration with Governments and locals?
>> PAMELA CALLETTI: I think definitely the collaborative framework in the case of Argentina we have a lot of domestic work because we have different states, and we should harmonize our judicial system is that we can compare our regulations with the region, and then see the friendship groups that we have like my Pakistan colleague.
This year in Argentina there was a parliamentary track where parliamentarians discussed all of the good practices, and regulations and in the framework of the IGF, and the parliamentary track is this environment where we all can meet and talk about all of these policies and develop capabilities and capacities for these challenges. Have a forum like the IGF where everybody is represented, Academia, Private Sector, scientists, technical community, parliamentaries and the CSOs as well as citizens in general.
>> MODERATOR: I thank you to our discussion our session that is full of very insightful discussions, thoughts and ideas. It's wonderful to hear and see what is going on in every country. It is very nice to see there are many common I would say steps across these different countries, but, again, this is the time to close.
So as we close, I extend my heartfelt thanks to panelists for their thoughtful contribution and for our audience for our engagement. We have discussed the critical role of Parliaments in securing secure future. The challenges they face and the strategy for collaboration.
On behalf of the IGF 2024, thank you once again for your dedication to shaping a better digital future. We look forward to seeing you, the progress that we will achieve together. Thank you so much and thank you for the audience.
(Applause).