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DDP-YD/ETD (2020) 154 28 October 2020

Youth participation in Internet Governance

15^th Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum

2-25 November 2020, online

About EuroDIG and Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) is an open multi-stakeholder platform to exchange views about the Internet and how it is governed. Created in 2008 by several organisations, government representatives and experts, it fosters dialogue and collaboration with the Internet community on public policy for the Internet. The main aim of EuroDIG is to promote the engagement of Europeans in multistakeholder dialogue in order to share their expertise and best practice and, where possible, identify common ground. This enables EuroDIG to pull together national perspectives and to apply and shape European values and views regarding the Internet. Results from the conference (so called EuroDIG ‘Messages’) are prepared and presented to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is an annual meeting of stakeholders from various groups who have an interest in public policy issues relating to the Internet.

Youth Participation in Internet Governance

The Council of Europe is a partner of both events, following particularly human rights questions such as data protection and security, artificial intelligence, internet regulations and policies, cybercrimes, online hate speech, access to services.

Youth participation in Internet Governance gained relevance for the Council of Europe during the No Hate Speech Movement campaign which mobilised young people for better human rights protection in cyberspace. Youth participation in Internet Governance remains a priority in the Youth for Democracy programme which emphasises the development of competences of young people for influencing decision-making processes in respect to e-forms of youth participation and promotion of human rights online.

In 2017, the Youth Department organised a seminar on youth participation in Internet Governance that resulted in in a set of conclusions that emphasise the importance of recognising young people as a stakeholder group and recommends “to give a priority to youth participation in Internet Governance in youth, education and children policies” and to “include a youth representatives in every panel in Internet Governance conferences”.

The youth sector of the Council of Europe has remained actively contributing in Internet governance for a in 2018 and 2019 while advocating for genuine forms of youth participation and promoting human rights-based approaches to Internet governance and youth participation therein.

Currently the Council of Europe is finalising a handbook on youth participation in Internet Governance that should be available as a draft in the second half of 2020.

Youth participation in EuroDIG and IGF

Youth participation in EuroDIG and IGF is primary about having a say on youth-related issues, networking, and advocacy. Participants invited by the Council of Europe will:

- actively participate in the plenary sessions, workshops and side events of EuroDIG and IGF that are tackling human rights, youth participation, antidiscrimination, inclusion etc.

- bring expertise and be visible in the plenary sessions and the workshops

- learn about and become familiar with different topics related to Internet governance

- Share the learning and communicate key messages and conclusions from the events through online channels of the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

Like all fora, EuroDIG and IGF are great unique occasions to make relevant contacts, carry out advocacy actions and networking.

As in previous years, the Council of Europe will prepare the group of youth “delegates” or participants for both events. Those participants should be able to convey the values and priorities of the Council of Europe and use the experience for their personal and personal development as well as for their role as multipliers in youth organisations.