Online seminar on "Sustainable and Safe Development of the Internet" for CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) member states was held on August 24. Experts from relevant government agencies, commercial networks, and the scientific community from 18 CICA member states attended the meeting, along with representatives from the Coordination Center for TLD. RU/.PФ.
The seminar, which was arranged at Russia's suggestion, served as the launch event for the new CICA confidence-building program "Security in the use of ICTs and ICTs themselves," whose co-coordinators are the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China in 2022–2023.
The seminar participants were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Digital Development of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation Alexander Shoitov, who noted that Internet Governance should be based on the principles of international trust, shared responsibility and equal rights of states in the field of critical resource management, and the Russian Federation consistently adheres to this course. “However, instead of a thorough discussion on important concerns, we are currently witnessing a number of trends hazardous to the network. National efforts that are autonomous and uncoordinated are becoming more prevalent. Many of them have an application that is transboundary. All of this increases the possibility of the Internet network becoming fragmented,” Alexander Shoitov emphasized. The seminar speaker wished the attendees successful work, stimulating discussions, as well as the development of professional and friendly relationships.
Two thematic sections were held as part of the seminar's overall structure: "States' approaches to the development of the Internet and strengthening international cooperation in the relevant field" and "Issues of the development of the Internet as a sphere of interest of states, business, and the scientific community." Rashid Ismailov, President of PJSC VimpelCom, who has been proposed by the Russian Federation's Communications Administration for the position of Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), attended the seminar. Keep in mind that the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union, which is going to be held in Bucharest (Romania) from September 26 to October 14, 2022, will feature the election of the Secretary General. Rashid Ismailov stated in his speech that the regulations' predictability and openness are crucial for business. For the business itself, as well as for competitiveness, this is essential. He also discussed the condition of cybersecurity globally, the steps states have taken to protect their digital sovereignty, and the difficulties in securing international digital cooperation. Rashid Ismailov emphasized the significance of collaboration between governments, business associations, and ICT firms, which will enable information exchange to achieve a high technological level, including the sharing of protocol standards. Leading the standardization of technologies and the creation of recommendations for the broadest variety of applications is a crucial function for the International Telecommunication Union. Rashid Ismailov stated, “Perhaps now is the time to consider what challenges are coming to the development of the Internet and revert to the original idea that the Internet should be a platform, a sort of garden in which all participants using Internet services can bloom”.
You can read Rashid Ismailov's entire speech here.
