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From 6 to 10 December, the International Congress Centre in Katowice will host the 16th UN Digital Summit – IGF 2021, during which the most important decisions related to digital transformation will be made. The Summit will be hosted for the first time by Poland.
The summit is organised at the initiative of the United Nations. It will be attended by several thousand guests, including ministers and heads of international organisations, representatives of business, including the largest and most well-known Internet companies from around the world, NGO activists and academics.
“Hosting such a prestigious event is not only a great honour, but also proof that Poland is becoming an increasingly important player in global efforts for a free and undivided internet. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Katowice in December 2021,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a video encouraging participation in the Summit. It is available on the website dedicated to the event, https://www.gov.pl/igf2021.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres states that “we need a strong, effective and accountable Internet Governance Forum as a place where governments, the private sector, technical experts and civil society from around the world come together, share ideas, discuss solutions and agree on common standards and principles.”
According to the Sejm of the Elżbieta Witek, the UN Digital Summit in Katowice offers an excellent opportunity for parliamentarians from all over the world to meet and look at the needs of internet users. “We will discuss, among other things, legislative solutions to the challenges of the digital world. Together we can shape the future,” she noted.
The UN Digital Summit – IGF 2021 will be the venue for a debate on, inter alia, the future of online platforms. The slogan of this year’s conference is “Internet United”. During the IGF, global topics and best practices related to the digital space will be discussed.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin noted that the world must expand global partnerships and decrease the digital divide. “We must continue the digital transformation for society, peace, planet and prosperity. At the IGF 2021 meeting, under the theme of Internet United, we will raise these issues, take action and propose initiatives,” – he declared.
IGF has been organised since 2006. Until now it has been held in Germany, France, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Egypt, India, Greece and Lithuania. Under the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8itli5JRF2E&t=2s you may watch the invitation to the next Summit in Poland.
After the UN Digital Summit – from 10 to 12 December, Katowice will host the IGF After Party – a weekend filled with innovative discussions and interesting activities for young programmers from around the world.
Participation in the Summit is open and free of charge. Those interested in attending IGF2021 can register via https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/igf-2021-registration. Information on accreditation for journalists interested in covering the event can also be found there.
The preliminary agenda of the Summit along with more information about IGF 2021 – including in English, French and Spanish – can be found at https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/igf-2021-schedule.
Source: Polish Press Agency (PAP)
