IGF 2006

Event
Process	IGF
Date	Oct. 24, 2006 – Oct. 26, 2006
Country
City	Athens
Venue	Divani Caravel Hotel
Websites	intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/3367/5
IGF 2007 →

IGF 2006, the first IGF meeting, was held in Athens, Greece.

Context

The inaugural meeting was chaired by the Greek Minister of Transport and Communications Michalis Liapis, who declared that the Forum should shape a common global vision for the development and growth of the Internet. Prime Minister Mr. Karamanlis, who officially opened the meeting, also told participants that the Forum had united under the same goal and vision, governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and civil society.

Theme

The overall theme of the meeting was "Internet Governance for Development" and the agenda was structured along the following broad themes:

• Openness: Freedom of expression, free flow of information, ideas and knowledge;
• Security: Creating trust and confidence through collaboration;
• Diversity: Promoting multilingualism and local content;
• Access: Internet Connectivity: Policy and Cost.

Discussion

Discussions at IGF 2006 primarily revolved around equity and freedom. The theme of equity encompassed various concerns—such as the inclusion of Internet users in developing countries, remote regions, marginalized genders, indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities. This focus on equity also informed debates on diversity, local content, and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), aimed at making the Internet more accessible to those whose native languages are not English and whose scripts are not Latin.

Another critical aspect of equity was the cost of access, a recurring topic throughout the forum.

The IGF also addressed the rapid growth of Internet usage, which has intensified global interest in Internet governance. However, this growth has also underscored persistent inequalities, reflected in repeated references to the five billion people who remain unconnected.

Outcomes

Among the most concrete results of the first IGF in Athens was the emergence of a number of so-called Dynamic Coalitions which were relatively informal, issue-specific groups consisting of stakeholders that were interested in the particular issue and a number of workshops on specific issues. Most coalitions were open to participation to anyone interested in contributing. Thus, these groups gathered not only academics and representatives of governments, but also members of the civil society interested in participating on the debates and engaged in the coalition's works.

Internet Governance Forum

Internationalized Domain Name