March 2025 - wsis20 - lists.icann.org

Open for Review & Endorsement – Joint Letter on Operationalising WSIS+20 Modalities
by Jordan Carter May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

Dear all As the WSIS+20 process advances, an informal group of WSIS stakeholders from civil society, technical community, and the private sector, has developed a 5-point document outlining key recommendations to operationalize WSIS modalities. The aim is to use this in our advocacy to strengthen multistakeholder engagement and ensure that the process is inclusive and impactful. To maximize its reach and influence, we are seeking your review and feedback and inviting you to consider signing on as a supporter. While we welcome input, we intend to retain the current structure and length of the letter to ensure clarity and focus. You can review the draft letter here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MSxPHLqC18M5-u7H_1vNHMU_ls0fKFZ0_upZ1oR… We kindly ask for your comments and expressions of support by COB Friday, 14 March 2025. After this deadline, we will seek to finalize the letter and share it with relevant audiences, including key decision-makers involved in the WSIS+20 process. Please also feel free to circulate this to other stakeholders who may be interested in endorsing it. A broad and diverse list of signatories will be crucial in reinforcing this message. Please let us know if you have any questions. Best regards, Jordan

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Zero Draft for the GDC Scientific Panel and Global Dialogue on AI
by Hosein Badran March 20, 2025

March 20, 2025

Hello All, The Intergovernmental process co-facilitated by Costa Rica and Spain, overseeing the AI Scientific Panel and Global Dialogue on AI Governance, included in the GDC, have published their Zero Draft report. It can be found here: https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2025-03/ai_pa… Focusing on the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, here are some observations: * It seems the direction so far is to establish a new forum, not coinciding with the IGF. In particular, the first annual meeting expected to take place in New York in September 2025, which will be after IGF’25 in Norway in June 2025. * * For the operationalization of the Dialogue, three UN entities are to collaborate: ODET, ITU and UNESCO. * * The form of the output of the Dialogue is not clarified. The Elements Paper summarizing the consultations performed by the co-conveners, published on Feb. 28th, 2025, specified the output to be non-binding . * https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2025-02/25022… * * As expected, creating a new forum for the Dialogue will require dedicated (new) funding. In the current difficult environment it is not clear how this new funding will be secured. Here is a recap of the relevant sections from the Zero Draft: " 14. Decides that the Dialogue shall facilitate international cooperation on AI governance including through sharing of best practices, lessons learned and capacity-building programs; identify ways on how AI can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the respect, protection and promotion of human rights, support linguistic and cultural diversity; encourage dialogue between Member States and stakeholders; and foster interoperability; 15. Further decides that the Dialogue shall be open to all Member States, observers and relevant stakeholders; and will hold a plenary meeting, with a high-level segment with participation at the level of Heads of State and Government, and thematic discussions; 16. Decides that the Dialogue shall be convened once annually in the margins of existing relevant United Nations conferences and meetings; 17. Also decides that the first Dialogue will be held in New York in September 2025 and that the second Dialogue will be held in Geneva in 2026; 21. Requests the Secretary-General to operationalize a Secretariat to provide the necessary support for the Panel and the Dialogue by leveraging system-wide capacities including in the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, the International Telecommunications Union and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 22. Encourages States and international donors as well as the private sector, financial institutions, foundations and other donors in a position to do so, to support the effective functioning of the Panel and Dialogue, including by facilitating the participation of representatives of developing countries, through voluntary contributions; " Thank you and kind regards, Hosein Badran

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Synthetic drugs, pills and drug trafficking. The biggest cartel in darknet
by ferruh ucer March 20, 2025

March 20, 2025

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Data point: Shift in USG position regarding the SDGs
by Israel Rosas March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Hi all, I'd like to bring your attention to the remarks delivered on 4 March by the US Minister Counselor to ECOSOC regarding the USG position about the Agenda 2030. This is a significant shift that can have serious implications in the WSIS+20 review, particularly in a context where many of us have advocated for the Internet as a force for good that helps advance global development. The remarks are located here: https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-the-un-meeting-entitled-58th-plenary-… A couple of concerning extracts: "We have a concern that this resolution is a reaffirmation of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although framed in neutral language, Agenda 2030 and the SDGs advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans." "Put simply, globalist endeavors like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box. Therefore, the United States rejects and denounces the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and it will no longer reaffirm them as a matter of course." Best, Isra Isra Rosas, Director, Partnerships and Internet Development Internet Society

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WSIS+20 modalities
by Veni Markovski March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Hi. In some factual news, the silence procedure on the WSIS+20 modalities was not broken, and so the 2015 modalities are going to be the 2025 ones, after they are approved by the UN General Assembly. You can look at them here: https://www.un.org/pga/79/2025/02/07/letter-from-president-general-assembly… Best regards, Veni __

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