Opening remarks

Reflecting on a decade of internet governance: Insights from NetMundial Plus 10

The NetMundial Plus 10 event marked a significant milestone, a decade since the original NetMundial, which established foundational principles for internet governance. The opening session showcased a diverse array of speakers, including government ministers, executives, and representatives from various countries and organizations, who collectively examined the progress made, the challenges faced, and the future direction of digital landscape management.

**Key Points and Arguments:**

– **Endorsement of Multi-Stakeholder Model:** There was a unanimous endorsement of the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance, with calls for it to be more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. Speakers emphasized that no single entity could manage the internet alone and that the participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, governments, academia, and the technical community, is crucial.

– **Addressing Digital Inequalities:** The digital divide remains a significant concern, with speakers highlighting the risk of increased exclusion due to connectivity gaps. The necessity for international cooperation to address these inequalities and ensure universal access to the internet was underscored.

– **Concentration of Digital Power:** The event underscored the urgency of addressing the concentration of digital markets and technology power. The dominance of a few transnational companies and the potential fragmentation of digital space pose challenges to equitable internet governance.

– **Disinformation and Fake News:** The negative impacts of disinformation and fake news on society were acknowledged. The architecture of digital platforms, which may encourage the spread of harmful content, was identified as a critical area for governance.

– **Artificial Intelligence (AI):** The rapid development of AI technologies and their profound impact on society were discussed. The need to regulate and guide the use of AI, while fostering innovation and protecting human rights, was highlighted.

– **NetMundial Plus 10’s Role:** The event was seen as a crucial forum for building consensus on strategic discussions relevant to the current digital reality. It was an opportunity to reaffirm the collective commitment to a democratic, multi-stakeholder approach to internet governance.

**Evidence and Supporting Facts:**

– **Internet as a Global Resource:** The principle that the internet should be managed in the public interest was reiterated, with a focus on inclusivity and multi-stakeholderism.

– **IANA Stewardship Transition:** The successful transition of the IANA functions to the global multi-stakeholder community was cited as a key example of the model’s effectiveness.

– **Global Digital Compact:** The discussions at NetMundial Plus 10 were positioned as instrumental in shaping the Global Digital Compact and other multilateral processes.

**Conclusions:**

The NetMundial Plus 10 event concluded with a strong message of unity and collaboration. There was a clear recognition of the need to adapt internet governance to meet the challenges of new technologies and to ensure that the internet continues to benefit all of society. The event set the stage for continued dialogue and action towards a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable digital ecosystem.

**Noteworthy Observations and Insights:**

– **Women’s Representation:** The presence of numerous women on the panel and in the audience was noted as a positive sign of inclusivity in discussions about the future of the internet.

– **Fragmentation Concerns:** Concerns were raised about the potential fragmentation of internet governance due to the existence of multiple forums and decision-making processes. This fragmentation could hinder participation and lead to less effective governance.

– **Role of Brazil:** Brazil’s role as a catalyst for the multi-stakeholder discussion was emphasised, with the country’s commitment to international cooperation and digital inclusion being highlighted.

– **Future Planning:** The event was seen as a stepping stone for future governance, with an understanding that immediate solutions may not be readily available, but that the discussions would provide valuable contributions to the ongoing global dialogue.

In summary, NetMundial Plus 10 served as a reflective and forward-looking platform, reiterating the importance of a collaborative approach to internet governance and the need to address current and future digital challenges collectively.

Renata Jabali:
Hello, good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I would kindly ask you to take your seats. We are going to start now our event, okay? I am Renata Jabali and I am very pleased to host such an important event. Before we start, I would like to inform you that we have simultaneous translations from English to Portuguese and from Portuguese into English during all the event, okay? Those of you that need the headsets for translation, please raise your hands and our staff will hand you the headsets, okay? So now, take your seats and enjoy our event. This is the NetMundial Plus 10 opening session. As you can see, we have here on stage the following speakers. Minister Luciana Santos from the Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation. Mahmoud Glazer, Executive Secretary CGI-BR, Head of NetMundial Plus 10 Secretariat. Demi Getschko, NIC.br CEO. Renata Miele, Chair and Coordinator of CGI.br. Luciano Maza, representing the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Virgilio Almeida, Chair of NetMundial in 2014. Irina Sovki, representing the German government. Rodrigo de la Parra, representing the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Susan Chalmers, from the Government of the United States. Carol Conway, representing Abranet, the Brazilian Internet Association. Taufik Jelassi, Assistant Director General for Communication and Information for UNESCO. Camila Leitchi, representing CDR, Rights Network Coalition. Luciano Maza, representing the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which I have previously introduced. Ok, so now, to begin our speeches, I would like to invite Mr. Hartmut Blaser. Please, you can come to the podium, or you can start.

Hartmut Glaser:
Good morning, everyone. Before my speech, I would like to explain that the Board of Directors has an advisory. Good morning, and before saying anything, we work together. So, whenever I speak, we write together. And what I’m going to express here is the result of teamwork. Dear friends, welcome to those who, like me, share our Brazil. People who live and dream in these lands. A cordial welcome to those arriving from trips, who have left their homeland for a few days, to share their dreams with us here in São Paulo. As many other dreams, and many others who, just like you, have arrived here. And I would also like to welcome those who follow us from many other places online, either here in Brazil or people at greater distances. Once again, we have come together to point new directions, and this is very good. I remember our first NetMundial. Ten years have passed. It was April 2014. It’s not a very long period of time. Many of us who are here today have already dedicated several decades to the growth and improvement of the Internet in our countries and around the world. We know because we live and experience the speed of new things that appear on the Internet at every period, or the novelties of the countless new old and original technologies that surprise us in unprecedented ways and also in a very fast way. Also the speed of the Internet itself. More than billions have been included in the last decade. New users of the Internet and the speed of the infrastructure that supports the speed that we intend and our ability to maintain it. Also the speed in being challenged with new and complex challenges that call for equitable solutions. It’s been a period of time in which an awful lot of things have happened. It’s not just speed that feeds the Internet. We know because. We also live slowly, the same 10 years, not that they have taken too long, but it is imperative to recognize that there is a time to mature, a time to plant, and a time to harvest. Much of what we have done requires patience. And the purpose is to reach consensus. The process, oftentimes, is slow. I can say so because we have experience for almost three decades in the Internet Management Committee in Brazil, which in its time when it was created back in 1995, it emerged as a multi-sectorial representation. And we have persisted on this method and governance. Each action, each decision, at its own time. Considering the speed and new things that appear on the Internet, or due to the slow process of building consensus, or due to other temporal variables, it’s good that we visit each other from time to time. And we should also revisit what we have already produced. Observe the path that we have taken, our achievements, our challenges, our advances, and whatever is still unfinished. Oftentimes we become capable of envisioning what has already been done and what still needs to be done when we meet and express our different visions in different perspectives. This is the primary purpose of this NetMundial Plus10 meeting. We believe in the strengths… consensus principles. We believe in the real multi-stakeholder approach that effectively participate in different sectors, expressing their common themes, everyone in equal conditions and possibilities. This is what we did in 2014. This is what we hope to do this year, in 2024, in this NetMundial Plus 10. More than a dream, an action so that open, inclusive, multiple and diverse processes are the assumptions for the paths that we want to take. Let’s keep walking, all of us together. Welcome to NetMundial Plus 10. Welcome to the new decade. May our path of consensus be everlasting, beyond and closer, and may it be both the path that ourselves, you and me, may be the sign of hope that we want to discuss and approve in this event. NetMundial Plus 10. I wish good work for everyone. You’re most welcome, so that together, once again, we may shed light for the next few years. Now, continuing with our introductions of our panelists, I would like to give the floor to Demi Gajko, CEO of NIC-BR. He’s the executive arm of the Internet Steering Committee. Please, Demi. Thank you.

Demi Getschko:
Well, I do not have such grand words to say, but I would like to greet everyone, welcome everyone here. It’s very nice to see the combination of old faces that we saw in the original NetMundial and in many internet meetings and symposia, some other young people who have just arrived and included to the process, and this is a good omen. Without being jubilistic, this year is 35 years of .br, this is the anniversary, we are very happy, and the Brazilian internet is usually well seen overseas, but Brazil’s image in this area is good, maybe what led to NetMundial 1, and is still the driver for NetMundial plus 10. So as Hartmann said, the steering committee was created in 1995, and it was already multi-stakeholder, and ICANN in 2010, also multi-stakeholder. So this approach of having multi-stakeholder organizations is a way of working right from the beginning. So this meeting today is something important, and the conversations that we have been having since 2009, this was in Lithuania. This decalogue has led to several landmarks, which was a lot that was very well received, and it defined the rules for the game, the rules for the internet, it was not a punishment, it was defining the rights. I am a huge fan of the decalogue, and also the civil landmark. Both the civil landmark and the decalogue are related, and this led to the civil landmark, and in this manner the decalogue also created the global. rights and principles that other countries could consider whether it was worthwhile adopting or not, as we had done in Brazil. So NetMundial 1 owes a lot to ICANN, and it was really a driver of the NetMundial that was done here in Sao Paulo, the same hotel. And the difference from NetMundial and other conferences, as you all know, is that it was able of creating two consensus documents of principles that were submitted to NetMundial Plus 10, and it defines the map or a roadmap that they’re seeing. And in addition to the specific 10th anniversary celebrations, we have an important implementation of the principles of the global forums. And we all want the internet to continue being open, inclusive, and free, as it has always been in a participative way. And the governance should continue as a multistakeholder enterprise. So there is a lot of fragmentation, and we need to be very careful with that, especially when we define the semantics, what we mean by fragmentation, and what we mean when we say internet. So we need to define the fertile soil that is the internet where many applications are born, and applications itself. So we need to differentiate the substrate and what has grown from the substrate. And of course, I am completely in favor of keeping the substrate whole, uniform, and unique so that everything else may grow in there. So I think that this is the scenario that we are dealing with in NetMundial Plus 10. I hope that we can come up with a document. that is similar to the initial NetMundial, that we can reach a consensus where each one will give up something, so that we can get to a joint consensus to strengthen the global Internet, especially in the new scenarios that are much more complex than they used to be in the past. So, I hope you all have an excellent meeting. I would like to thank you all for coming here, and I would like to take the opportunity of the ministry here as a fellow panelist. Thank you so much.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you, Demi. The next person that I would like to give the floor to is Renata Miele. She is the chair and coordinator of CGI-BR, and she is the owner of the party. She is the hostess, and she is leading this part, coordinating everything. Thank you very much, Renata. The floor is yours.

Renata Mielli:
Thank you very much, Professor Glaser. Good morning, everyone. I would like to welcome each and every one of you who are here in person, but also those of you who are online, because we are having a hybrid event, and right now we have about 130 people together with us in our opening ceremony, virtually. I would like to welcome everyone that is taking part in NetMundial Plus10. As part of the steering committee of the Internet in Brazil, this is a multi-stakeholder event with the presence of the government, private enterprise, civil society, academia, and technical community. It’s an honor to have everyone together, but at the same time, it’s a huge responsibility. When we started the dialogue to build the NetMundial in October 2023, we received the support from many partners. both domestic and international. And in all conversations that we have had, and I participated in almost every single one with a team, with a CGI advisory team, and I would like to greet especially them, because if we are here today, most of this is something that we owe to this great team that worked tirelessly with Vinicius, Eberton, and Flavio, and everyone who helped put this event together. So once again, once we started the dialogues back in October in our room doing IGF in Kyoto, and the two ICA meetings that came afterwards, many of you recognized the relevant role of CGI in Brazil and in a debate of the multi-stakeholder enterprise. And this is due to the marking presence and impression that NET Mundial left for everyone, but not just for the discussion and for us to build a multi-stakeholder building process to show to the world how it is possible and desirable to have democratic participation processes for inclusion and dialogue in the pursuit of solutions for problems, but also to build or design proposals to make sure that the Internet and all digital technologies that the Internet supports, and that there are so many applications, so that the use and development of the Internet is done for the benefit of society that is shared by everyone in a responsible, ethical, safe, and reliable way, and so that no one will be left behind. we should look at the underprivileged communities, we should look at the global south, and people who do not have the same benefits of sharing a significant and universal community, which is an important concept that we are trying to develop now to discuss the relevant role that the Internet and its applications have in the lives of everyone. The challenge in this conference, therefore, was built based on a public consultation involving 154 contributions over two weeks, and that is gathering in person and online attendance from 79 countries. It is to deepen the debate on the principles that should guard the multi-stakeholder governance, how they should be applied to contribute to strengthen these spaces, and also to contribute for decision-making at the level of countries and multi-stakeholder organizations that will take into consideration the sovereignty of the countries, the self-determination of peoples. This was already indicated in our agenda. And why is it important to talk about this debate to develop and strengthen multi-stakeholder processes? Because, as we showed in a document that was presented for a debate, which is going to be discussed at length over the next few days, today and tomorrow, no actor alone, no matter how powerful it is, is capable of building a digital world that will make sure that all sectors and all countries may advance to build an Internet that will make sure that rights are effective in a digital world. But I am sure that we will be able to reach those objectives together. Have a good work, and the CGI is very happy to be able to count with each and every one of you here today for this debate. Have a good day.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you, Renata. Now I’m going to hand it over to Professor Virgilio Almeida. He was the chair of NET Mundial in 2014. At that time, he was our boss. Virgilio is a professor. He works for the Federal University of Minas Gerais and in other projects. So, Virgilio, you have the floor.

Virgilio Almeida:
Good morning, everyone. I would like to start by welcoming all the participants of NET Mundial Plus 10. I would like to greet Minister Luciana Santos, coordinator of this conference, Renata Miale. And I would like to greet, on their behalf, all of you who are here with us today. Thank you very much, CGI.br and their team for the invitation. I just have a few comments to make about our conference. Digital technologies are ubiquitous and they are part of our daily lives. We have the government, we have companies, everyone using them. Constant evolution and they really amaze us. Every single day, we have news about new digital applications. And this is a trend that is going to persist over the years. However, there is another side of the coin. The digital world is also bringing us a number of concerns. Just coming close to a crisis that is challenging reality, individual rights, and the global order. Governments from all over the world have been fighting to respond to this challenge of digital governance, which really involves a number of dimensions. Regulating and ruling digital advance will require the creation of new policies, laws to oversee the use of the new technologies. Ten years ago, we got together exactly where we are today to really have a number of discussions, pioneer discussions about the principles of Internet governance and to create a roadmap of future challenges. NetMundial introduced a very significant dimension by promoting a multi-stakeholder process of discussions which has led to very tangible results. NetMundial invokes all the stakeholders and everyone was treated equally during the decision-making process. And it has really shown a break with the previous system that we used to have really towards a multi-stakeholder model for our modern area. NetMundial has introduced a number of innovative elements which have overcome previous experiences that we have had in the implementation of other initiatives. The multi-stakeholder initiative can help us detect concrete measures to deal with specific issues that demand much more than general principles. In addition, it may help us create mechanisms and appropriate structures for the creation of digital agreements. The principles created at NetMundial 2014 are still very pertinent and applicable to all our current scenario. The digital world is intertwined with the physical world. These are principles that create a context for regulation and governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The principles for use and development of emerging technologies are just the starting point. They will only serve and provide what organizations need if they are combined with governance practices that effectively help guide the use of the said new technologies. Therefore, we have to think about a global ecosystem that can address ethics, social and moral issues brought about by new technologies, such as artificial intelligence. We have to explore innovative approach to deal with the emerging technologies, focusing, for example, on integration of public policies to promote digital growth, which is green, equitative and sustainable. The positive potential and the negative potential of artificial intelligence and its progression, as well as other emerging technologies, will depend on public policies and further regulations. To reach the potential of emerging digital technologies would require a subtle balance between regulation, pro-innovation policies and democratic engagement. This is the challenge that NetMundial Plus 10 can help everyone face, just coming up with insights and new propositions. Thank you all very much.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you very much, Virgilio. I would like now to invite Irina Soeffky, representing the German government, so that she can just make her comments.

Irina Soeffky:
I would like to start by thanking the Internet Steering Committee for organizing this wonderful event here. But also for the entire process leading up to it, in particular the consultation that has taken place before, and that is, I think, one of the most important things. And I would like to start by thanking the Internet Steering Committee for not only organizing this wonderful event here, but also for the entire process leading up to it, in particular the consultation that has taken place before, and that is, I think, of really high importance for all of our discussions today and tomorrow. We know that it is quite a challenge to organize such a huge process, and therefore we are even more grateful for that. I couldn’t imagine a better point in time when to hold such an event. As you all know, the discussions on the Global Digital Compact are currently ongoing, and we are we have the discussions on the WSIS review process ahead of us. So very important decisions on Internet, international digital policy, and Internet governance in particular, about to be taken, and it is really important to gather, to come together here, and discuss these issues in depth and in detail. As you know, Germany has always been a steadfast supporter of the multi-stakeholder approach. We have always been a strong supporter of the multistakeholder approach, and we have always been a strong supporter of the multistakeholder model, and remains so today. Our active role as a stakeholder in this process went back quite a long way, to the World Summit on the Information Society, but also to NetMundial 10 years ago, where we also had a big German delegation, to the Internet Governance Forum, which we held in 2019 in Berlin, and as I said, to the present day. Today we’re really looking for adoption by the European Union, to the little провerb on the last but firm we are dealing with this year, when the German government adopted its first ever strategy for international digital policy. And while there’s a huge needs to be policy committing again to the multi-stakeholder model but also to fundamental human rights online and offline and to a global open free and secure Internet. So we have a solid basis for us as government and as one of the stakeholders to keep on working in this process. As I said this event couldn’t come at a better point of time, many important discussions are ongoing. We have a solid basis for discussions here with the results and the summaries of the consultations that have taken place before. I think it is obvious that things that have been discussed in NetMondial ten years ago are still relevant today. Some are working really well, others might be able to work even better and I think the questions that we will be discussing here are really of imminent importance. And what is particularly important to me is that we are not only talking about principles which are already very, very important as such, but that we are also debating how all this could work and work even better in the future in practice. And I think this is a really important result that we hopefully reach together, then also to feed into multilevel processes which are ongoing at the same time. So I’m looking forward to discussing debates with all of you and thank once again our Brazilian hosts for organizing this very important event. Thank you very much.

Hartmut Glaser:
I would like now to invite Rodrigo de la Parra, representing ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, for his comments. Rodrigo, please.

Rodrigo de la Parra:
Thank you, Professor Glaser, thank you for the invitation. Your Excellency, Minister Luciana Santos, Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Distinguished Renata Mielo, Chair of the Comitê de História da Internet do Brasil, Distinguished Demi Getsco, President of NIC.br, Distinguished Luciano Massa, Brazil Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Distinguished Professor Virgilio de Almeida, Professor of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and NetMundial 2014 Chair, Distinguished Irina Sofky, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Germany, Distinguished Susan Chalmers, United States Department of Commerce and TAA, Distinguished Carol Conway-Abranet, Brazil, Distinguished Camila Leite, Coalizão de Leituras Negras do Brasil CDA. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great privilege and honour for me to be here with all of you, distinguished panellists and members of the global multi-stakeholder Internet community during this welcome session of NetMundial Plus10, which promises to be yet another important milestone in the history of Internet governance discussions. ICANN is proud to be recognised as one of the many organisations that constitute the global Internet technical community and embraces the opportunity to share this message in this capacity. Ten years ago, reprem governments, civil society, the private sector, technical bodies and academia came together to reinforce existing principles of Internet governance and reinvigorate our lively discussions. The outcome of NetMundial was a document that outlined core Internet governance principles and a roadmap for the future. Among these principles were inclusivity and multi-stakeholderism by affirming that all stakeholders have valid roles in shaping internet policy. Transparency, by promoting open decision-making processes to foster trust. Accountability, by ensuring that mechanisms exist to hold internet governance bodies responsible. And recognition of the internet as a global resource, which should be managed in the public interest. In the years since NetMundial, we have continued to build and nurture a truly inclusive and respecting internet for all. NetMundial took place at an important time for the ICANN community, beginning of the IANA stewardship transition, which was the culmination of a long process that oversight of critical internet resources to the global multi-stakeholder community. This historic shift underscored the core NetMundial principle of a collaborative internet governance model. Many of the principles and the roadmap laid out in 2014 remain as vital as ever. They continue to be part of the discussions taking place at different venues, including the Internet Governance Forum. As a staff member of ICANN, I recognize our organization’s responsibility in this ecosystem. While our work in coordination with our partners and sister organizations focuses on technical coordination of the internet’s unique identifiers, its implications are far broader. ICANN’s commitment to multi-stakeholder participation. is one of our foundational principles. Our technical work is guided by the shared commitment to a global, open and secure Internet that is accessible to all. Today, let us honor the legacy of NETMundial by remembering one of the essential elements of the meeting in 2014, the power of collaboration. When a diverse community engages in dialogue, it can find common ground and solutions even amid complex challenges. I want to take this opportunity also to recognize the work and commitment of our partners in the technical community. The technical coordination has been and still is sound and has resulted in a secure, open and interoperable Internet. Community development processes within the technical communities are characterized among others by openness, inclusivity and active participation of stakeholders with relevant expertise. While there is strong and wise support to the multi-stakeholder model of governance, there are still some discussions happening in interlateral settings that prevent stakeholder groups to participate effectively. If a trend of having this sort of discussions related to digital and Internet policy issues in multilateral or exclusively intergovernmental organizations is observed, the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance and the goal to maintain a single and interoperable Internet can be adversely impacted. It is important to highlight when potential conflicts and duplications arise and urge governments to uphold their commitments to the Uyghur Tunis Agenda and Uyghur-Turkmenistan. is plus 10 outcome document. Over the years, we have confirmed that the multi-stakeholder is not only a good-to-have attribute of Internet. On the contrary, the multi-stakeholder model is very much a requirement for global Internet governance. Even if we attempted to make decisions in a non-multi-stakeholder fashion, given the open and distributed characteristics of the Internet and the definition of roles and responsibilities across the different stakeholders, it would be impossible for just one stakeholder alone to make informed, educated, meaningful, constructive and effective decisions for the Internet. Assistance and participation from all stakeholders are indeed needed. The governance framework that we, the multi-stakeholder Internet governance community, have built over these years could well become an example of how global challenges can be discussed and tackled. We all have the great opportunity in front of us to build on this legacy. The world is watching us. Let’s show everybody that the multi-stakeholder model works. Let the world know that openness, inclusivity, transparency and accountability are attributes our planet needs to become a better place. I wish everyone a productive and successful meeting. Thank you very much.

Hartmut Glaser:
Obrigado, Rodrigo. Thank you, Rodrigo. The next person who is coming to the floor is Susan Chalmers, representing the government of the United States. Please, Susan.

Susan Chalmers:
It is clear that the organizers of this conference care deeply about the future of the Internet and the importance of not only preserving, but enhancing multi-folder engagement on Internet governance and digital policy issues. On behalf of the United States, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Government of Brazil, to CGI.br, and to the High Level Executive Committee in bringing us together for NetMundial Plus 10. The United States participated in NetMundial in 2014. We came back to join this discussion in Sao Paulo because this is where the critical thinking is taking place on principles and guidelines that will help shape the future of the Internet. We are heading into a momentous time for Internet governance and digital policy. Discussions on the Global Digital Compact at the United Nations are underway, and many topics that this community cares about feature prominently in that early draft. The International Telecommunication Union’s open consultation on the Internet multi-stakeholder cooperation is open and closes in September. And before we know it, WSIS Plus 20 will be fast upon us. So it is absolutely crucial that the multi-stakeholder community is afforded the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in these multilateral processes. The NetMundial Plus 10 meeting represents a precious opportunity for proponents of the multi-stakeholder approach to coordinate in advance of this upcoming busy season, and to take a clear-eyed look at how multi-stakeholder Internet governance and digital policy processes must evolve in order to deliver on a human rights affirmative vision for the globally unique and interoperable Internet. To be maximally effective, we suggest that the conference consider how to clarify what the original NetMundial Internet governance principles do, indeed, refer to. When we use the terms multi-stakeholder governance and processes, how do they apply to the Internet’s technical architecture and to digital policy developed at the multilateral, regional, national, and even local levels? In our view, NetMundial could contribute significantly to the global dialogue if it clarifies that its principles can apply generally to two different but related planes. The document could distinguish multi-stakeholder Internet governance from multi-stakeholder engagement and digital policy processes. Multi-stakeholder Internet governance should refer to consensus-based decision-making that takes place in those technical entities which together constitute the decentralized architecture of the Internet. When it comes to multi-stakeholder Internet governance, our goal is to protect and enhance these institutional arrangements so that the Internet’s interoperability is guaranteed and no one specific stakeholder or institution can be the authority for the governance of the Internet’s architecture. Doing so will protect the stability, security, and resilience of the Internet as a global platform, and a specific demonstration of multi-stakeholder Internet governance in action was the IANA stewardship transition. We can distinguish multi-stakeholder Internet governance from multi-stakeholder engagement in processes to shape policy for the content, services, and activity that takes place on the Internet itself, and here the Global Digital Compact is perhaps the most immediate opportunity. These processes should routinely integrate human rights considerations, and to be successful, they must be transparent, collaborative, inclusive, and meaningfully integrate diverse perspectives from across civil society, the technical community, the private sector, academia, and governments. In conclusion, in this moment of transformational change, with technology reshaping every aspect of our lives, the stakes are high. The United States is committed to working with multi-stakeholder partners and other governments to facilitate meaningful access, protect human rights online, and demonstrate that democracy can deliver as we navigate the digital transformation happening around us. This NetMundial Plus10 meeting can be instrumental in helping the global internet community to be more effective in shaping this transformation, and we look forward to working with all of you on an equal footing to make this happen. Thank you.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you so much, Susan. I would like to give the floor to Carol Conway, representing ABRANET, the Brazilian Internet Association.

Carol Conway:
Thank you. Good morning, everyone present here, and those of you who are with us over the internet. Dear Minister Luciana Santos, dear Renata Glasser-Temme, Virginio, on behalf of whom I would like to greet everyone on this table. It’s a great joy that on behalf of ABRANET, the Brazilian Association on the Internet, and many of our members who are here present, and others, I would like who I’m representing, I would like to welcome everyone to this meeting. I would like to thank Glaser, Renata, Demi, and everyone for the invitation that have brought us so far 10 years after our last meeting on this very same place, at the same hotel. It’s a time of great meaning with all of you present here and our minister that are fundamental figures for the advance of our policy of technology and innovation. It’s an essential piece of the policy for this decade, the decade that is worth a century. I would like to extend my greetings to our community whose joint effort has been essential for us to come to this point. Minister, I have witnessed right here the signature of the Internet landmark, the first consultation through digital platforms of the government right here at this very same place. I have seen our entire community being very, very excited for being heard and for collective design. And we are here once again together 10 years later to think about governance and principles. So, I would like to express this by renewing our vows of a bond with the Internet and our identity and our marriage, which is not just professional, but personal too, considering that all of us have experienced, we all here in Brazil experience and live with the Internet, but unfortunately this is not yet our reality. And only 22% of the population have access to significant connectivity. But on behalf of the renewal of these vows, I remembered the concept of Anthroposophy that says that every seven years, people evolve, taking what they learned in the previous seven-year periods, from 0 to 7, 7 to 14, and they gradually evolve. In the case of the Internet, I would say that we are experiencing 10-year periods. In 1994, the Internet arrived to schools, the commercial Internet started, and so, in the case of human beings, this was what we call the next phase. In 2004, the broadband consolidated, which was the phase of belonging. In 2014, we published the civil landmark and enacted it, which is the phase of identity. And now, in 2024, we have come across the phase called the phase of the eye with intelligence, but in this case, it’s artificial. It’s true that many of us are once again wondering, is the Internet dead? I remember an economist’s paper in 2013 saying, is the Web dead? And now, once again, we are in this discussion again. The Internet, as the civil landmark proved in 2014, it is not dead, it has evolved, and now it is transforming once again, as it happens every 10 years. So, today, new technological initiatives that I am witnessing at ABRANET with our members, they are really amazing, and they are the result of everything that has brought us this far with the marriage that we celebrated in the past. It’s our responsibility as a community to preserve it, and to do that, the tools are the principles and governance, and, of course, having new parameters based on this new 10-year period in terms of what we want from it. If we don’t know where we want to go, we are not going to get anywhere. And this 10-year period, as Professor Vigilio recently said, our challenge is even bigger. But, so are the possibilities. We need to expand the contributions of the society to help people who make loss as a society and as a community. I’m going to repeat, we need to expand our contributions to make it clear what we want from the Internet and AI. And then we have recently announced the creation of the AER board and society to guide the new regulations. We are going to have an online consultation through the website what do we want from AI.com.br and I invite you all to log in and we are also going to have campus parties for those of you who do not have Internet access and who are not here so that you can contribute. And it is essential before we discuss all of this or at the same time to take care of misinformation assuring connectivity for everyone to assure principles such as neutrality, innovations to value science, but definitely many other things and ideas are going to arise from this conference. I would like to emphasize the importance of everyone contributing for us to improve our governance tools with the boards where Professor Vigilio and Demi are and many other colleagues belong to that board and I won’t have enough time to mention and I would like to say their names and I am sure of the transformational potential of this conference, the NetMundial Plus 10. Thank you very much everyone and I hope we can have a very profitable conference. Thank you.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you Carol. Now I would like to give the floor to Tawfik Jelassi representing UNESCO. as its General Director for Communications and Information. Please, Tawfiq, the floor is yours.

Tawfik Jelassi:
Excellency, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, distinguished guests, esteemed participants, it’s an honor and privilege to represent UNESCO at NetMondial Plus10. We were here 10 years ago in the first edition and you believe in the work and the global debates about digital governance and our mandate includes fostering and promoting the free flow of information around the world. And that’s why we want to take an active part in the debates today and the coming days. Ten years ago, the NetMondial conference brought together stakeholders from all over the world to discuss the future of the Internet. It has resulted in the adoption of governance principles aimed at fostering an open, inclusive and transparent Internet. These principles advocated for multi-stakeholder approach based on human rights and very much aligned with international standards. They aimed to promote the Internet as a globally coherent, interconnected, stable and unfragmented space while emphasizing the importance of fostering innovation and creativity. These principles have served as a guiding light, shaping our collective efforts to harness the transformative power of the Internet for the betterment of humanity. However, over the last decade, the digital landscape continued to evolve in a significant way. We have seen the rise of digital platforms. We have seen the advent of generative artificial intelligence, which is fundamentally changing the way we communicate, the way we collaborate, the way we do business. and the way we live. Of course, these are unprecedented opportunities. However, they do raise very important global questions about accountability, governance, and the protection of fundamental rights. I would like here to mention a few actions that UNESCO has taken over the last decade in line with NetMondial First Edition. First of all, I would like to say that UNESCO has developed what we call the ROM-X principles and the Internet Universality Indicators. ROM-X standing for Human Rights, Open, Accessible, and Multi-Stakeholder Approach to the Internet. This is obviously directly aligned with the framework established here back in 2014. Our related Internet Universality Indicators have been used by 40 countries around the world to conduct national digital assessment. They are currently being revised in partnership with others, including the CITIC Center based here in Sao Paulo, and we have a session today at 12 noon to present this updating process, which is ongoing. The second action I would like to mention is the 2021 First Global Recommendation of UNESCO on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This was the first standard-setting instrument of its kind, adopted by our 193 member states, and this recommendation is currently being implemented in over 50 countries around the world. The third action, which is worth mentioning, which concluded last November with the publication of the UNESCO Global Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms. We all recognize that digital platforms are a major development, obviously, but also they have become a place for hatred, for mis-disinformation. We have been working with the UNESCO for a long time, and we have been working with the UNESCO for a long time, and we have been working with the UNESCO for cyber bullying and for online violence, and of course, we have to take a stand here and to do something to combat the harmful online content of the platforms. This was done through the work of UNESCO was done through a two-year multi-stakeholder approach that involved a global open dialogue where we presented to the world cyberbullious and homOS laps this is a contribution of UNESCO to elsewhere. This information, as you may know, was quoted this past January, as the global risk number one this and next year that is this information ahead of climate change. And lastly, I would like to invite you to join me in welcoming the global digital compact, which is on digital transformation and capacity building for civil servants. Let me, in closing, say that this event comes at a very important moment, as the United Nations is currently conducting other crucial global debates, certainly regarding the global digital compact, the summit of the future of next September, but also the global digital compact, which is the first of its kind in the world, and it is the first of its kind in the world. As a member of the UN, it is imperative that we take into account the lessons we have learned over the last decade, but also the new realities introduced by technological advances. The principles of NetMundial remain as relevant as ever, and we must also recognize the need to adapt and evolve our governance in order to enhance cooperation between countries and to enhance the valuable partnerships which make us, in closing, Unesco reiterate the international the importance to ensure a meaningful stakeholder approach that determines the key responsibilities of each party, be it states, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, the technical community, academia, research institutions, and others. By doing so, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable digital ecosystem. We can build an Internet for trust, and we can promote information as a global public good. Let’s seize the opportunity of NetMundial Plus10 to reaffirm our collective commitment to engage in defending the values of openness, transparency, and human rights in the digital age. Let’s together chart a course towards a brighter and more sustainable future for the Internet, one that reflects the needs and aspirations of people around the world, as not to leave anyone behind. Thank you.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you, Tawfik. Now, let me invite Camila Leite, representing CDR, and I would like to invite her to speak to make her comments.

Camila Leite:
Welcome to NetMundial Plus10. That said, I will excuse myself, and since I’m proudly in my country, I will be speaking in Portuguese. Welcome to NetMundial Plus10. I would like to greet the panel, and I was very glad to be invited to represent CDR Coalition of Rights in the Network, gathering 50 Brazilian organizations working in the field of digital inclusion. I would like to thank all of you for your participation. These are qualified organizations to represent the civil society in the opening panel. We are all here today in this huge effort to come with a consensus to re-inform the principles of multi-stakeholder organization, and also take one further step of what it means to have a democratic space for multi-stakeholder participation. In the past 10 years, a lot has changed, but we still have got many challenges ahead of us with internet, which is more concentrated platforms, highly concentrated universalization of significant connectivity with so many people still being directly or indirectly excluded, and new challenges such as AI, which we also depend on them, but molding and shaping expression and human rights and other elements. To have appropriate internet governance, we still need processes which are open and inclusive, not only in the shape, the way they are, but also in practice, not only theory but in practice, and always respecting human rights online. We emphasize the importance of cooperation, and we have to recognize what are the important advances in the 10 years we have had, and there are four key points here. First of all, a symmetry of power. Second, multi-stakeholder approach in all spaces, multi-stakeholder as a process and formally transparency, being always in a very symmetrical distribution. We have to recognize the imbalance of power between the global north and the other countries. We have to understand the difference in context of all these countries to ensure significant participation considering all the different contexts and without excluding them. a symmetry of industry in terms of capacity building, investments, and above all, we have to take into consideration that as we have internet with dominating digital platforms full of power and money, the civil society has a number of challenges of how to participate in all these different opportunities. The civil society has a lot to contribute, bringing more legitimacy to this process. But therefore, participation has to be effective and real. And this is why we have to emphasize the diversity of the participation of civil society. Not only all of us in the internet governance, but also the communities being impacted by it. Diversity in terms of generation, origin of countries, gender diversity, and ethnic and racial diversity. Multistakeholder approach has to be present in all different forums. The initial statement we have emphasizes international space, IGF, GDC, WISES, but there are also other forums, regionally and locally, that should also have the principles of multistakeholder approach. This approach is a process, but also a principle that has to be present in all different processes. When we have representation of the government, when we have forums where we have participation, not only for public consultation, but in all different process of decision making. To do that, we need transparency in the process, in participation, and also in the results of this process. Transparency is crucial. The civil society has a very relevant role to contribute to the discussion and to the creation of parameters for inclusive internet governance. We have the preliminary statement of NetMundial Plus 10, which advancing concepts, but we have to move. further with greater inclusivity. Ladies and gentlemen, all of you here with us today, we have been a pioneer with NetMundial 10 years ago. And today, there is one more opportunity. And we are all responsible for leading this global movement of having a democratic, multi-stakeholder, effectively inclusive process of internet governance. I wish we all a very profitable conference so that we can really move ahead with our initiatives. Thank you all very much.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you, Camila. Let me now hand it over to Luciano Maza, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Luciano, you have the floor.

Luciano Mazza:
Thank you, Professor Glasser. Good morning, everyone. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I greet all of you who are here with us online and on site. This is Luciana Santos, our Ministry of Science and Technology, Telfic de Lanzi, General Secretary of UNESCO. And on behalf of them, I greet all of my dear friends at CGI.br, international guests, Brazilian guests, and all participants of this panel. What we’ve been considering as the statement for NetMundial Plus 10 is considering the governance and all the challenges. And therefore, we have to consider them all. The risk of increase of exclusion, digital gaps, challenges of connectivity just being left to second. So if we consider the wonderful world that we all have, very high concentration of digital markets and new technologies. In the few hands of few countries and companies, fragmentation of digital space, a economy of data where we are running the risk of setting apart different markets, copyrights, inappropriate compensation of artists, of journalists, and above all, the negative impacts for integrity of information with the architecture of platforms, encouraging disinformation, fake news, negative contents, really impacting everyone in Brazil and abroad. These challenges may be amplified by the transnationality of the digital ecosystem, which puts at stake the effectiveness of the government and the national entities. And it requires more, more and more international cooperation. It requires more multistakeholder approach. It requires more multilateral initiatives. It requires better and more digital and internet governance. And this is the current moment we are, just a call for action of all the community and all players committed with multistakeholder approach. As you know, we have a very dynamic moment for the future of digital governance. Therefore, multistakeholder approach brings us a challenge. We have to show the world that we can become more and more representative, inclusive, effective, being present in all the different processes of negotiations and discussions internationally. On top of that, NetMundial Plus 10 is a unique opportunity for multistakeholder approach so that we can reaffirm our vitality going beyond. the disengagement and the difference in expectations, especially when it involves governments, which are, of course, focusing on their own competence and role, their responsibility with all their different populations, concerned about the imbalance in the game of interest, which are present in all different stakeholder forums. Therefore, we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of what we are discussing here today. Even though we shouldn’t expect easy, immediate solutions to be indicated, based on all the different computations that we’ve heard from this process and the wonderful preparation work that has been put together, we should all be confirmed and be assured that NETPLUS Mundial Plus 10 will shed light into these issues, producing a very important contribution and insights for something realistic, effective, to deal with all the challenges that lay ahead of us. Together, we can strengthen the governance of digital world. So I wish all of us great work. Thank you all.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you, Luciano. Now, it’s an honor and a pleasure to hand it over to Minister Luciana Santos, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation. This is the forum that indicates the person responsible for CGI. So she is our boss. Welcome, Minister Luciana Santos.

Luciana Santos:
Hello. Welcome, everyone. First of all, I would like to tell you how glad I am to have a lot of women in the audience and also many women represented on our panel, just showing that women are in the center of this very important discussion for the whole world. I would like to greet Renata Miali, coordinator of CGI.br, Hamad Glaser, executive secretary of CGI.br, Demi Getsko, sorry, not a good pronunciation from my side, but she says she is with Big.br, Virgilio Meda from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, who was the chair of NET Mundial 2014, Diego de la Parra, vice president of ICANN, representing the government of Germany, Susan Schaumann, representing the government of the United States, Carol Conway, representing BRINET, Brazilian Internet Association, Tufik Jelasi from UNESCO, Camila Leite, representing CDR, and Ambassador Luciano Massa, director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Well, I’m delighted to be here with all of you, and I’m really aware of my responsibility before all of you. We know what a challenge it is to host, once again, NET Mundial in Brazil. NET Mundial Plus 10, as we’ve heard from my predecessors 10 years ago, we were here discussing what should be the guiding principles of internet. multi-stakeholder governance. A time when we have a transition of delegation of names and domains of internet. At that time, the Brazilian government relied on the experience and knowledge of the Internet Managing Committee in Brazil, with the support of ICANN. And together, we worked to put together the multi-stakeholder event to face the challenge at that time, according to what had been agreed in the documents from Geneva and Tunis, ensuring universal rights, which are essential for internet governance. It was all based on the recognition that internet management involves technical issues, as well as public issues. And it should involve all interested parties, all stakeholders, civil society, government, technical area, academia, technical community, and intergovernmental organizations. In Brazil, we implement internet governance based on this perspective. In our CGI.br, which very proudly has been an international reference for. All discussions related with the use and development of internet. And I can speak from my own testimonial. I had the pleasure and the opportunity of participating in the creation and the discussion of a legal framework for internet when I was a state representative in the Congress in Brazil. This is a very important legal framework, a very important achievement in Brazil. really create the management of internet. But we have to move ahead. We have to work on better regulation so that it can be really applicable when internet is being used. One of the messages of NetMundial at that time was to emphasize that the rights that people have offline should also be ensured online, proposing a number of guiding principles for internet-mode stakeholder approach. 10 years after that, we’ve had a sped-up process of new applications of internet, especially with the challenges brought by AI. The world had been constantly impacted by digital transformation. Based on internet, our life has been mediated by digital technology. And the impact that it has had on our reality is huge. Both individually and collectively. We’ve been seeing how the digital world has changed the behavior of people since the very beginning of their lives. It has changed the way we interact socially, our affective relationships, the perception that we have of ourselves and of the world. We have to understand this dynamic and what we effectively say that the digital structure has impacted the society at large. The impact of the data community and how it has impacted production, manufacturing, the economy. And this is a constant discussion that has to be made publicly and be really incorporated by all nations and all populations. It all involves risks, opportunities, and this is how life is. So considering the international uncertainty. the world of multiple crises and in constant transition. We have to understand that the digital debate, which has been just dominated by a few transnational companies, can really be part of a different kind of arrangement, not in a monopoly, really a possibility where we just put an end to social, economic, and political dominance. The governments of digital world has gained new complexity and has become central in all our national and international discussions. Despite everything that the different documents and statements have emphasized to bring down inequalities, creating a digital environment where we have multiple voices, not only considering different approaches, but also a cultural, linguistic, and sector diversity, especially considering the global south, we still have a lot to do. We really have to move ahead. No one is left behind. We want to make sure no one takes the center role. We have to make sure there are appropriate policies that really leads us to meeting our needs. An agenda based on reducing asymmetry and recognizing that access to internet should be a fundamental right. These are some of our challenges. So I wish that 9Mundial plus 10 can offer a relevant forum for discussion to discuss internet governments, digital ecosystem, all in a broader perspective, discussing significant access, data protection, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, freedom of speech, and the fight against disinformation. Because of all the social, democratic, and cultural impacts, it may all be translated into a government which is not fragmented in terms of forums and topics. One of the main problems detected by this community is that there are different forums discussing guidelines and decision makings, which lead to a fragmented discussion, really hindering the participation of many countries, and also academic, technical, teams, and forums, and the civil society. As it had been the case in 2014, what Brazil wants is to be a catalyst of this process. And of course, the government, the government of President Lula da Silva wants to insert Brazil, include Brazil again in the world forum, always speaking in favor of peace and creating win-win situations of cooperation, solidarity, the advance of the autonomy of different people. And this has been the policy of international policy according to what the government has been putting in place. And Brazil takes a very important role of being now the chair of G20. And we are going to lead some of the discussions about the future of technology so that we can have top-level discussions. This is all the discussion involving the difficulty of governance, all aligned with the priorities of the government in Brazil. The last meeting of our Committee

Hartmut Glaser:
of Science and Technology. was focused on artificial intelligence. President Lula da Silva asked us to discuss in the Conference of Science and Technology that’s going to be held this year after many years, and it’s going to be on June 4th to 6th, we want to present a plan to Brazil, not only discussing artificial intelligence, but also some additional points and proposals. So we have high expectations with NetMundial Plus 10, because this is a privileged forum where we can build a multistakeholder approach discussing strategic topics for our current reality. We have the role and the duty of contributing to all ongoing processes, emphasizing the key role of multistakeholder approach, not as something concurrent to multilateral process, but rather as a complementary opportunity to get to consensus and to move ahead. Thank you all very much, and I wish you very fruitful discussions.

Luciana Santos:
Thank you.

Hartmut Glaser:
Thank you so much, Minister, for your words of encouragement for us to defend an internet that increasingly free and open. This is why we are here. Now.