[Chapter-delegates] Richard Hill ISOC Member Session at WSIS

Wed Mar 21 12:34:34 PDT 2018

 Moderated High-Level Policy Session 13
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WSIS Forum 2018 <https://dig.watch/conferences/wsis-forum-2018>

Session: 328
21 Mar 2018 - 11:00 to 12:00
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   RT @JSebastianRozo(link is external) <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo>:
   En 'Mesa Redonda Ministerial' discutiendo los retos de los países en
   materia digital para la materialización de los #OD(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OD>…
   20 min 17 sec ago.(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo/status/976537140019548162>
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   RT @JSebastianRozo(link is external) <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo>:
   . at CDigitalCo(link is external) <https://twitter.com/CDigitalCo> es la
   estrategia de formación no formal del @Ministerio_TIC(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/Ministerio_TIC> a través de la cual buscamos que
   los colombian…
   21 min 13 sec ago.(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo/status/976536907785097216>
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   RT @JSebastianRozo(link is external) <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo>:
   We won! The Information Society believed in our project. We want the
   country to know that our 'Digital Citizenship' ini…
   21 min 21 sec ago.(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/JSebastianRozo/status/976536873886724103>
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   RT @kancelarijaITE(link is external) <https://twitter.com/kancelarijaITE>:
   A evo i kratke priče kako smo došli do ove nagrade. t.co/8tYR8Auoz9(link
   is external) <https://t.co/8tYR8Auoz9>#WSIS(link is external)
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   21 min 30 sec ago.(link is external)
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   23 Mar at 16:30 CET: Jacques Bughin of @McKinsey_MGI(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/McKinsey_MGI> joins @ITU(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/ITU>, @neil_sahota(link is external)
   <https://twitter.com/neil_sahota>, @IrmgardNubler(link is external)
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Report

*[Read more **session reports* <https://dig.watch/events/wsis-forum-2018>* from
the WSIS Forum 2018]/*

The session, moderated by *Ms Natalia Vicente*, from the EMEA Satellite
Operator’s Association (ESOA), explored the issues of the digital economy
and trade.

In a question posed to *Mr* *Torbjörn Fredriksson*, chief of the ICT Policy
section, Division of technology and logistics*, *United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)*, *Vicente sought to know what UNCTAD was
doing to promote a more inclusive policy. In his response, Fredriksson
pointed out that there was a significant gap in the least developed
countries in terms of Internet usage, and that only one in six people was
thought to be using the Internet. He added that UNCTAD was trying to
address the issue by helping countries develop strategies for harnessing
the digital economy and e-trade for all initiatives.

The next question posed by the moderator was ‘How can governments help in
facilitating and development of digital economy?’* Mr Leong Keng Thai, *deputy
chief executive, Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore, responded
by stating there was need for a robust, high quality, and high speed
infrastructure. He felt that governments could have enabling policies to
encourage the bringing about of technologies. Thai added that a
transformation was needed, not just in the ICT industry, but also in
education, healthcare, and transportation. Furthermore, he emphasised the
need to help small and medium enterprises to adopt technologies, and change
the way business is conducted. Thai summed up by calling for governments to
develop inter-jurisdiction and proper data protection policies, capable of
facilitating cross-border data flow.

Asked what he saw as one of the key enablers for the digital economy, *Mr
Tomas Lamanauskas*, group director public policy at VEON, said that digital
finance was key, without which it would be impossible to attain the digital
economy.

*Mr Pablo Bello*, secretary general of the Asociación Interamericana de
Empresas de Telecomunicación (ASIET), tackled the question of what would be
an appropriate environment to bridge the digital divide. In his view, Bello
said that increasing productivity of economies in transition would be
fundamental to economic growth. He added that while Latin America had made
steady progress over the years, there was still a lot that needed to be
done. Pablo added that public policy was pivotal in helping bridge the
digital divide in the region.

*Mr Matthew McLarty*, co-founder and CEO, Pathfinder4 outlined the current
state of the digital economy in the Caribbean region. He revealed that
Internet usage was between 50%-80% across the Caribbean islands, and that
in order to bridge the digital divide, there was the need for human
capacity to deliver premium knowledge services.

Asked whether people should be compensated monetarily for their data, and
whether the World Trade Organization (WTO) was the appropriate stage to
discuss free flow of data and other Internet governance issues, *Mr Richard
Hill*, president, Association for Proper Internet Governance, said that
tech companies such as Facebook and Google were literally living off the
data of their users who had no bargaining power. Hill also pointed out that
other Internet governance issues needed to be discussed with platforms
adhering to multistakeholder principles.

Next in line to answer Vicente’s questions was *Mr Sasha Iatsenia*, head of
product, Kiwicampus. Asked if innovations could exceed expectations and
break traditional business models to democratise social mobility, and
whether they should be taxed, Iatsenia responded by stating that it was
vital to understand technological disruption.
He added that data was valuable, as information extracted from it could be
used for products and companies. He cited companies such as Uber and Waimo,
who he said are building self-driving technology, and are using the data
they have captured to improve their products. In regard to whether robots
should be taxed, Iatsenia said that this is a question open for debate.

When asked what the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication
Sector (ITU-T) was doing for development or building of the digital economy
and trade, and what were the main issues preventing use of mobile devices
for financial services, *Dr Yury Grin, *deputy director general, Intervale,
talked about the ITU-T focus group on digital financial services. Grin
explained that this group was initiated some years ago by the Gates
Foundation, and was supported by broadband providers and many other
agencies, under the umbrella of the ITU-T. Grin added that this group was
joined not only by ICT experts, but financial experts, and people who were
engaged in customer protection rights. He mentioned that the work of the
group has finished, and its activities have resulted in the creation of an
ecosystem for digital financial services.

Regarding the main issues preventing use of mobile devices for financial
services, Grin felt that the two core issues were convenience in the use of
devices, and security. He added that the ITU was dealing with the issue of
security, and had come up with new common recommendations approved by all
member states.

Asked what he thought was the role of civil society in developing the
digital economy and trade, and what were the priorities for African
countries, *Dr Cisse Kane*, president, African Civil Society on the
Information Society (ACSIS), explained that Africa was lagging behind, and
African countries were not ready to develop a pan-African vision on the
digital economy. Kane however added that work is currently done on
designing a free trade agreement for the continent, a gesture that could be
seen as a good sign for Africa.

*By Bonface Witaba*

Glenn McKnight
NARALO Secretariat
mcknight.glenn at gmail.com
skype  gmcknight
twitter gmcknight
289-830 6259
.
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