2013: Bridging Rural and Urban Perspectives

Originally published on July 27, 2015

The world is urbanizing rapidly, with cities today concentrating more than half the world’s population. While it is widely accepted that development and urbanization go hand in hand, the expansion of cities gives rise to both opportunities and challenges, with countries urbanizing in quite different ways. Urbanization has been occurring at different times and different paces, and some countries have concentrated the urban populations in few mega cities, while others have spread the urban populations across many smaller towns. Particularly little is known about the relation between the pace and nature of the urbanization process and the evolution of inequality and poverty. This conference aimed to initiate a dialogue among all stakeholders on the drivers and patterns of urbanization and their consequences for inequality and poverty to elicit key insights for policymakers, with special attention to Africa’s unfolding urbanization process.

Internet Governance Forum USA 2015

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Marvin Center Grand Ballroom
800 21st Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

The IGF-USA 2015 was a full-day conference that brought together thought leaders from across the Internet multi-stakeholder community to highlight and engage in discussions about key issues that will drive the future of the Internet.

Topics

  • Encryption, Backdoors, Security and Privacy
  • The Politics of Innovation: Can the Internet Spur Too Much Disruption?
  • Truth and Trolls: Dealing with Toxic Speech while Protecting Free Speech Online
  • The state of digital rights and Free Expression Online
  • Critical Internet Resources: An update on progress and challenges remaining for the transition of IANA stewardship and enhancing ICANN accountability.
  • Enhancing Multistakeholder Cooperation
  • Internet of Things
  • The Digital Trade Imbalance: There is an imbalance in trade strategies between the US and many of its trade partners
  • Connecting the Next Billion

Confirmed keynotes

  • Catherine A. Novelli – Under Secretary of State & Senior Coordinator for International Information Technology Diplomacy
  • Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy
  • Lawrence E. Strickling – Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Vint Cerf – Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
  • Steve Crocker – Chairman of the Board of Directors, ICANN
  • Kathryn Brown – President and CEO, The Internet Society

For more information, please contact Kyle Renner at iiep@gwu.edu or 202-994-5320.

Co-Sponsored by:

ARIN
ICANN
Public Interest Registry
Microsoft
NetChoice
Software and Information Industry Association

Disney
The Internet Society
Verisign
Internet Infrastructure Coalition
Verizon
Wiley Rein

Videos from the Forum

Welcome Remarks

 

Keynote by Larry Strickling

Keynote Conversation with Vinton Cerf and Steve Crocker, moderated by Nancy Scola

Breakout Session – Critical Internet Resources: An update on progress and challenges remaining for the transition of IANA stewardship and enhancing ICANN accountability

Keynote remarks by Julie Zoller – Deputy Coordinator, International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. Department of State

Keynote remarks by Kathryn Brown – President and CEO, The Internet Society

Breakout Session – Maintaining Trust Online: Cybersecurity, Encryption, Backdoors, and Privacy

Keynote Session – “Connecting the World”

Plenary – Connecting the Next Billion

Closing Plenary – Breakout Summaries

Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Conference

Originally published on July 8, 2015

Each year, academics and development practitioners meet at the World Bank’s Headquarters to present their research and discuss the challenges of urbanization in developing countries. Check back in the coming months for updates regarding the 3rd Annual Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference on Monday, February 1st, 2016, which will again be co-hosted by IIEP, the Growth Dialogue, and the World Bank, and will discuss climate change, the environment, and their interaction with sustainable urbanization.