News: 2016

    OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2016

    December 11, 2016

    The OECD has published the Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2016 The STI Outlook is a biennial publication that aims to inform policy makers and analysts on recent and future changes in global science, technology and innovation (STI) patterns and their potential implications on and for national and international STI policies. Based on the most recent data available, the report provides comparative analysis of new policies and instruments being used in OECD countries and a number of major emerging economies (including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and South Africa) to boost the contribution of science and innovation to growth and to global and social challenges. In this edition, detailed country and policy profiles are available on line.

    The STI Outlook is available in 26 languages.

    CSISAC at the OECD Foresight Forum on Artificial Intelligence

    November 18, 2016

    Technology Foresight Forums are organised by the OECD Committee for Digital Economy Policy (formerly Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy) to help identify opportunities and challenges for the Internet economy posed by technical developments.

    Foresight forums represent a collaborative effort of policy makers from member and non-member governments, business, civil society, and the Internet technical community. Past forum topics include radio frequency identification (RFID), next generation networks, participative web, and cloud computing. On 17 November 2016, the OECD held the 2016 Technology Foresight Forum on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The event took place in the November CDEP, and the CSISAC was invited to take part.

    The event focused on 'Applied AI', meaning already existing capacities, instead of in the more general notion of the term. The Forum presented the latest developments, and discussed the policy implications derived from societal changes like the substitution of human labour by AI systems and the need to address the resulting inequalities, the monopoly of the data and software that enable this technology, or threats to civil liberties connected to privacy and security issues.

    The topic raised the interest of the CSISAC membership, which contributed with analysis and comments building on the background document distributed as preparation for the Forum. Contributions included CSISAC Steering Committee members Marc Rotenberg and Claire Milne, Michael Gurstein and Roger Clarke. At the Forum, the CSISAC Liaison focused on introducing the notion of 'algorithmic transparency' as a useful way to evaluate and prevent the potentialities and risks of AI, remarking the importance of algorithms for automated decission-making and their falibility. The Liaison expressed concerns about the proposals made at the meeting to evaluate algorithms on a log-basis only, as that would provide only ex-post evidence; and also the need to re-evaluate the intellectual property frameworks so to not avoid innovation in algorithms and proper evaluation and assesment. Finally the Liaison showed support to the proposals raising the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach, supporting the interest for the OECD to foster work in this area, and expressing the interest of the CSISAC to engage

    CSISAC Reports on the OECD Ministerial at the RightsCon

    March 2, 2016

    The RightsCon has confirmed the proposal of CSISAC to organize a Hub Table session about the OECD Ministerial on the Digital Economy, focused to inform and engage civil society participants from Latin America.

    The goal of the session is to facilitate civil society engagement with the OECD Ministerial Meeting on "Digital Economy: Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity" in Mexico, 2016. The main themes of the Ministerial are very relevant to Rights Con's community including Internet openness and innovation, Internet of Things, metrics on privacy and security, and broadband access. We would like to encourage the participation in the civil society event that will be held in advance of the OECD Ministerial.


    Civil society is represented in the OECD by the Civil Society Information Society Advisory Council (CSISAC). Our goal is to effectively represent civil society's interest with regard to Internet policies and ensure the presence of a broad variety of NGOs with a special emphasis on Latin America in 2016. Organizations that are not CSISAC members yet would learn more about the process and the discussion could attract new participants. We would like to expand the CSISAC network, to enable ongoing participation by civil society organizations in the work of the OECD.

    The event will take place on March 31 at 16:00 and it was estructured as 'Hub Table' session, to facilitate the exchange and dialogue. Participants included:

    • - Suso Baleato (CSISAC) (organizer)
    • - Alberto Cerda (Ford Foundation),
    • - Katitza Rodriguez (Electronic Frontier Foundation),
    • - Carolina Botero (Karisma),
    • - Luis Fernando Garcia (R3D/Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales),
    • - Claudio Ruiz (Derechos Digitales),
    • - Miguel Morachimo (Hiperderecho),
    • - Jazmin Acuña Cantero (TEDIC),
    • - Carolina Rossini (Public Knowledge),
    • - Michael Baak (Public Knowledge),
    • - Antonio Martínez Velázquez (Horizontal),
    • - Luca Belli (Center of Technology and Society at Getulio Vargas Foundation),
    • - Paulina Gutierrez (Article 19),
    • - Luca Belli (Center of Technology and Society at Getulio Vargas Foundation),
    • - Paulina Gutierrez (Article 19),
    • - Fanny Hidvegi (EPIC)

    CSISAC to Foster Digital Inclusion, Privacy and Security in the G20 Process

    December 22, 2016

    The German Presidency of the G20 is setting a focus on digitalisation, as expressed by the term's motto "Shaping an interconnected world". A C20 process is to be deployed towards integrating the civil society perspective in the G20 dialogue. However, at this point, the proposed thematic priorities for the civil society process do not include any specific topic on digitalisation, which could lead to the exclusion, from the G20 process, of civil society groups working worldwide on digital rights issues. The CSISAC will be taking the opportunity of the OECD-G20 dialogue to foster digital inclusion, privacy and security in the German Presidency of the G20.

    In several fora including the most recent sessions of the OECD CDEP and the Internet Governance Forum, the German Presidency has expressed their plan to give a focus on the impact of digitalisation, as expressed by the Presidency motto "Shaping an interconnected world". This focus on digitalisation is consistent with the ongoing global policy dialogue, particularly with the outcomes of the June 2016 OECD Ministerial on the Digital Economy in Cancún (México), and the September 2017 G7 Summit on the Information and Communication Technologies (Japan). The prominence of the digital topic is also consistent with the outcomes of the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, where digitalisation ranked in the first place of the substantial topics discussed in the communiqué. In addition to the Presidency motto, the prominence of the digital agenda can be seen in the OECD-G20 dialogue enacted as the result of the Hangzhou Summit. Recent developments, including robotics, artificial intelligence, high frequency trading, the Internet of Things, Internet mediated commercial activity, social networking platforms, mass surveillance, data breaches, or infrastructure failures, have shown the relevance of this phenomenon for the civil society. This remarkably includes topics like privacy and security online, access to the Internet, digital consumer protection, children online, unemployment, cryptography, skills, ageing, identity theft and many other topics where hundreds of civil society organizations worldwide are contributing with their expertise to improve the global policy dialogue from a multi-stakeholder approach.

    A Civil Society process will run in parallel with other tracks -women, labour unions or business- to enrich the G20 dialogue. At the current point, the C20 process is apparently disconnected from both the priorities of the G20 dialogue as a whole, the Presidency's focus, and the ongoing digitalisation process. In the absence of a digital track in the C20 process, the ongoing dialogue between governmental representatives and civil society participants would get interrupted, as that would imply no role for the organizations working on digital rights. The exclusion of the civil society participants working in the digital area would impede the expertise developed by scholars, activists and non governmental organizations to contribute to the G20 dialogue, from the perspective of inclusion, data protection and human rights as priorities. That decission could be harmful for the ongoing multi-stakeholder dynamics for the governance of digital issues, and isolate the G20 from the global dialogue on the topic.

    All together, this makes the inclusion of a digital track in the G20 dialogue a necessary improvement to ensure a constructive alignment between the C20 process and the G20 dialogue towards fostering a civil society perspective in the outcomes referring to the digital agenda. "Inclusion, Privacy and Security in the Digital Economy" could be a possible framework to be supported by the CSISAC and its members.

    CSISAC to engage in the OECD-G20 Dialogue

    December 13, 2016

    At the 73rd session of the CDEP, the OECD announced a dialogue with the G20 on digitalisation in the context of the focus given by the G20 Presidency to the topic, and the planned OECD horizontal project on digitalisation.

    The CSISAC has been invited to take part in that dialogue, and the CSISAC has accepted the invitation towards fostering the Civil Society Principles in the G20 extension of the OECD work on the digital economy. The OECD has welcomed CSISAC proposal to extend the current participatory structure to the G20 meetings, having the Liaison plus one representative appointed by the Steering Committee to participate in behalf of the CSISAC. Several CSISAC members have expressed their interest in taking part in that process, and the Steering Committee will be exploring the opportunities with that purpose.

    The first step for the OECD-G20 dialogue will be a meeting to be held the 12th of January in Berlin. In addition to this, a consultation process has been launched to set the thematic priorities for the civil society process (C20). The CSISAC is encouraging its members to take part in the consultation towards ensuring a proper alignment between the civil society process and the G20 focus on digitalisation.

    CSISAC to engage in the OECD Horizontal Project on Digitalisation

    November 28, 2016

    At its 73rd session, the OECD Committee for the Digital Economy (CDEP) has discussed the program of work to implement the outcomes outcomes of the Cancún 2016 Ministerial. The core of this proposal will be developed in the context of an Horizontal Project onDigitalisation, to be implemented during the 2017-2018 CDEP term. The horizontal approach involves up to 14 OECD bodies in addition to the CDEP, and will feed the most relevant global conversations on the topic, including the Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations, and the  Summits of the most industrialized countries.

    The CSISAC welcomes the proposal to develop this project on the basis of a multi-stakeholder approach, and thanks the invitation made to the CSISAC to engage in this process. The extension of CSISAC participation to the work of other OECD bodies reflects the comment of the OECD Secretary General on the importance of multi-stakeholder approach, and implies the extended recognition of the CSISAC as the main channel for civil society participation at the OECD. In addition, the CSISAC acknowledges the consideration of many of the proposals made by our members during the Civil Society Forum, and thanks the Ministers for their recognition of the importance of respect for human rights and digital security, and supports the declaration of the importance to preserve the fundamental openness of the Internet, the development of international arrangements that promote effective privacy and data protection across jurisdictions, and the evidence- and research-based policy work of the OECD.

    However, the threat that the digital economy poses to human rights, including privacy and freedom of expression, was insufficiently addressed in the Ministerial Declaration. Particularly with the rise
    of the Internet of things and the use of artificial intelligence for secretive decisions concerning the rights and freedom of individuals, the OECD must focus on the emerging challenges in the Digital
    Economy, including a multi-stakeholder approach that is grounded in the rule of law and democratic institutions with a committment to meaningful participation and concrete outcomes; the need to approach the connectivity issue with neutrality, affordability, respect of human rights, and a prohibition of Internet shutdowns; the development of new metrics to assess the consequences of the digital economy including inclusion, fairness and equity, with a focus on the individual, assessing possible discriminations and inequalities; where innovation, data flows, and trade policies respect human rights.

    The CSISAC will continue fostering this issues as specific policy issues in the context of the Civil Society Goals, engaging in the OECD Horizontal Project on Digitalisation. The involvement of the CSISAC will consist in the participation of the policy making process both at the OECD and at the interaction with other international settings, and the dissemination of the resulting outcomes.  The CSISAC calls the Civil Society participants with expertise on digital topics to engage in this process. Learn more about the CSISAC, or directly contact the CSISAC Secretariat <liaison@csisac.org>

    CSISAC to participate at the 2016 Internet Governance Forum

    December 2, 2016

    The Civil Society Council (CSISAC) of the OECD Committee on Digitalisation will take part in the 2016 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to be held in Guadalajara (Mexico). Steering Committee member Marc Rotenberg from EPIC will  participate in behalf of CSISAC. Many other CSISAC members will organize and take part in the many workshops and panels during the event,  including civil society representation at the High Level Meeting in the beginning of the event thanks to Mishi Choudari.

    The CSISAC has been invited to take part in the workshop organized by the OECD in the event to present the outcomes of the 2016  Ministerial Meeting, held in Cancún (Mexico) in June this year. CSISAC Steering Committee member Marc Rotenberg from EPIC will be invited to present the perspective of the Civil Society Stakeholder, as a result of the Civil Society Forum held in the first day of the high level meeting, Towards an Inclusive, Equitable, and Accountable Digital Economy. The OECD is expected to present the outcomes of the Ministerial and its follow up, the Horizontal Project on Digitalisation to be implemented in the 2017-2018 period, to be launched in the context of the next G20 process.

    In addition to that, the OECD planned to present the Broadband Toolkit for Latin America and the Caribbean, a pivotal develoment to guide the deployment of the Information and Communication Technologies in the region. The CSISAC will continue working with the leading NGOs of the area to improve the recommendation and to monitor its implementation in their countries. The OECD participation in the IGF will be closed with a panel on competition on the digital age will close the OECD organized activities, a tangible outcome of the effort lead by the CSISAC at the OECD to take into account the risk of digital monopolies in the digitalisation process.

    Beyond the OECD related activity, many CSISAC members will be taking part in the various activities at the IGF. Among the most visible interventions, CSISAC member Mishi Choudari will take the floor in the High Level meeting to be held at the beginning of the event, together with speakers representing technical communities like ISOC or ICANN, in addition to corporaions  and governments. CSISAC Steering Committee membes will participate as well, including Marc Rotenberg from EPIC to take part in the workshop about encryption and safety of journalists in the digital age; and Jeremy Malcolm from EFF, who will organize workshops on the right to be forgotten, and on the relation between trade agreements and Internet governance.

    Other activities supported by CSISAC members include the Open Forum Germany moderated by Wolfgang Kleinwächter; Katitza Rodrigues from EFF will co-organize a panel on surveillance and international rights together with Luis Fdo. García from R3D, who also takes part in a panel on the right to access in Latin America; Milton Muller will co-organize a panel on Internet domain fragmentation and another one on the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the Internet;  Rafik Dammak on the power of non-commercial users of the Internet and also another one on the answerability of the multi-stakeholder model, where Jeannette Hoffman will participate as speaker;and ; Renata Aquino on gender and access; John Carr will speak in the workshop on the Internet of Toys and Things., and Hernán Galperin on a panel about connecting the unconnected.

    The CSISAC Secretariat will be providing support to its members all along the meeting to facilitate coordination towards fostering the Civil Society Goals in the dialogue, and to facilitate engagement of civil society experts in the OECD policy-making work for 2017-2018.

    CSISAC to participate in the OECD-BEREC Workshop on IP Interconnection

    November 17, 2016

    The CSISAC has been invited to take part in the OECD-BEREC Workshop on IP Interconnection, to be held in Brussels the 21st of November. The purpose of the workshop is to bring experts from the IP-interconnection community in contact with experts on interconnection from national regulatory authorities and to discuss future IP-interconnection in light of recent market developments and legislative initiatives such as the EU Regulation 2015/2120 including rules on Net neutrality in the European Union and the FCC's Open
    Internet Order in the United States.

    CSISAC Member Thomas Lohninger from AK Vorrat will take part to contribute to the conversation sharing the perspective of Consumers.

    OECD Meetings: Summary of the 73rd Session of the Digital Economy Policy Committee (CDEP)

    November 21, 2016

    The CSISAC has participated in the 73rd Session of the Digital Economy Policy Committee (CDEP), held in conjunction with the meetings of its Working Parties on Measurement and Analysis (MADE), Communications, Infrastructure and Services (CISP) and Security and Privacy (SPDE). We wanted to thank all the civil society experts that have taken part in the preparation of the meeting, contributing with analysis and suggestions of the OECD draft papers and discussions.

    The CSISAC delegation was formed by the Steering Committee members Marc Rotenberg and Claire Milne attending the SPDE and the CISP respectively, and Suso Baleato taking part as CSISAC liaison in the CDEP, and as delegate for the statistical working party (MADE). In addition, CSISAC members Jacqueline Souza from Internet Lab (Brazil), Wafa Ben Hassin (Access Now) and Corynne McSherry (EFF) have participated as well, taking part in the OECD Foresight Forum on Artificial Intelligence and the Internet and Jurisdiction Conference.

    The 73rd session of the CDEP focused on the 2017-2018 plan of work, as a follow up of the 2016 OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy held in Cancún (México). The proposed focus and topics for work showed consistency with the outcomes of this high level meeting, showing a stronger focus on societal outcomes that includes the explicit recognition of a growing inequality and the need to foster a more inclusive digital development. The CSISAC is happy to see this focus in the 2017-2018 work plan, as it reflects the goals of the Civil Society Forum 'Towards a more Inclusive, Equitable, Accountable Digital Economy'. However, the prevalence of the more econometric perspective introduces limitations to the capacity of the proposed approach for the OECD policy-making process to fully accomplish the Civil Society Goals.

    For those reasons, the work of the CSISAC during the CDEP meetings focused on improving the alignment of the OECD work plan with the civil society objectives. With this purpose, the CSISAC has engaged in the analysis of the OECD drafts and working papers, engaging in the exchange of perspectives with the representatives of Member Countries, the OECD and the other stakeholders during the meeting. The CSISAC has been instrumental in introducing the notion of 'algorithmic transparency' as way to frame the policy-making needs connected to Artificial Intelligence; in improving the provisions on de-identification of the Recommendation on Health Data Governance to safeguard the protection of personal data and privacy; in reinforcing the focus on inclusion in the scope of the Horizontal Project on Digitalisation; and in having recognised the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in the new policy-making projects on the digital realm.

    The CSISAC will continue working to foster the Civil Society Goals. In addition to engaging in the ongoing projects, the proposals to foster the alignment of the G20 and OECD digital agendas, and the involvement of the ISO/IEC do introduce new opportunities for CSISAC to achieve this objective. The CSISAC is actively searching for civil society groups, activists and experts to participate in preparation of the written comments to be submitted to the OECD, and also in the processes connected to the OECD digital agenda. Participants from the Latin America/ Caribbean, African and Asian regions are strongly encouraged to show their availability and interest to take part in the work of CSISAC.

    OECD Meetings: CSISAC to participate in the 73rd session of the Committee on the Digital Economy (CDEP)

    October 26, 2016

    The next meeting of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Committee and its working parties will take place from the 14th to the 18th of November in the OECD headquarters in Paris (France). The CSISAC will take part in this meeting to bring the voice of Civil Society to the OECD policy making process.

    The November session of the CDEP will hold a follow-up of the 2016 Cancún OECD Ministerial Meeting, focusing on how to improve economic growth and social prosperity through the technological increase of productivity. While digitalisation will be the focal phenomenon, processes associated with other technologies will be considered as well, including bio-engineering, nano-technology, 3D printing or new materials. The Committee and its Working Parties will continue working in the preparation of the biannual programme, the next edition of the Digital Economy Outlook and the regular work on telecommunications regulation, deployment and pricing including regional recommendations; statistical measurement of digitalisation; and privacy and security policy, remarkably the review of the Health Data Governance Recommendation. New topics planned to enter the agenda include Artificial Intelligence, Satellite Broadband, and Criptography.

    The CSISAC invites all civil society participants engaged in these topics to get involved in the preparation of the meeting.

    About the CSISAC

    The CSISAC is the voice of civil society at the OECD Committee on the Digital Economy Policy. We facilitate the exchange of information between the OECD and civil society participants, leading to better-informed and more widely accepted policy frameworks. The formal recognition of this Advisory Committee by the OECD was the result of an effort initiated in the 1990s decade to promote participation parity in the global policy-making. Today, the CSISAC is the main venue to channel the participation of civil society in the OECD work on the digital economy.

    In order to fullfil its mission, CSISAC participates in the regular meetings of the OECD Digital Economy Committee (CDEP) and its working parties: the Working Party on Measurement and Analysis of the Digital Economy (MADE), the Working Party on Communication, Infrastructures and Services Policy (CISP) and the Working Party on Security and Privacy in the Digital Economy (SPDE). In addition, the CSISAC takes part in the OECD Ministerial Meetings organizing a Civil Society Forum, and also in other OECD meetings and projects connected to the Digital Economy Policy.

    The participation of the CSISAC consists in the circulation of the draft reports and working papers of the OECD among civil society experts for analysis and assessment prior to the meeting, attendance by CSISAC representatives at the regular sessions of the OECD committees, and the submission of policy assessments for the ongoing policy guidance. In addition, the CSISAC nominates high level experts to participate in ad-hoc instruments like expert groups or advisory panels linked to specific policy developments.

    The structure of the CSISAC is defined in the CSISAC Charter. To join the CSISAC, individuals or organizations should endorse the Civil Society Seoul Declaration, demonstrate a commitment to the public interest, and do not represent any business, technical organization, government entity, or other institution that sets public policy. To learn more about the CSISAC and how to join, you can visit the CSISAC Website or directly write to the CSISAC Liaison <liaison@csisac.org>.

    Civil Society Issues Statement at OECD Ministerial

    June 23, 2016

    CSISAC has issued a statement on the close of the OECD Ministerial in Cancun. The civil society coalition urged OECD ministers to protect human rights, the rule of law, and democratic institutions. (EN, ES, FR)

    Professor Zuboff Speaks at CSISAC Forum about Surveillance Capitalism

    June 21, 2016

    Harvard Business Professor Shoshana Zuboff spoke about "The Secrets of Surveillance Capitalism" at the opening of the CSISAC Forum in Cancun, Mexico. Professor Zuboff warned that the structure of the digital economy is incompatible with democratic institutions. "In our lifetimes, we observe capitalism shifting under our gaze," said Zuboff. "Surveillance capitalism is a coup from above. Like all incursions of power, we must focus on the fundamental legitimacy of surveillance as a mode of accumulation. We must interrupt, outlaw, and regulate the capture of behavioral surplus. This is necessary for society, for people, and for a return to the healthy evolution of capitalism."

    CSISAC Hosts Civil Society Forum at OECD Ministerial

    June 21, 2016

    Civil society organizations from more than a dozen countries are hosting a forum "Toward an Inclusive, Equitable, and Accountable Digital Economy" in Mexico. The forum is organized under the auspices of the Civil Society Information Society Advisory Council (CSISAC), "the voice of civil society at the OECD," in conjunction with the OECD Ministerial on the Digital Economy. The CSISAC Forum features NGO leaders, technology experts and government decision makers. The NGOs affirmed the Seoul Declaration and also called attention to new issues for the digital economy, such as algorithmic transparency, market consolidation, and metrics for human rights and social progress. CSISAC is an outgrowth of the Public Voice campaign to promote civil society participation in decisions concerning the future of the Internet. Similar NGO meetings were held in Ottawa in 1998 and Seoul in 2008. #CSISAC #OECDdigitalMX

    OECD Ministerial: CSISAC Fosters Civil Society Participation

    May 23, 2016

    The OECD has announced a Ministerial Conference about Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity in the context of the Digital Economy, to be held the 21-23 June 2016 in Cancún (México). This event is expected to set the agenda for the digitalisalization of the global economy in the following decade. Provided the deep implications of that process for social justice and human rights, the CSISAC is working to foster the voice of civil society in this event, according to the goals of the Seoul Declaration.

    Travel Grants
    In order to foster Civil Society participation, the CSISAC has actively explored options to retrieve funds to contribute to the participation costs. A criteria for travel grant was defined to prioritise goal alignment, capacity building and regional and gender diversity, and a call was published asking for expressions of interest to benefit from a travel grant. As the result of that initiave, the Steering Committee, received a total of 40 travel requests, and developed the capacity to cover the 90% of them.

    Among the granted participants, 53% of them come from Latin America, 24% from Europe, 18% from the USA and CAN, and 6% from Africa. Mexico is the most populated delegation, with 41% of the LatAm groups, followed by other countries like Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay and Argentina. Gender balance is on the 50% rate, and we are proud to have also a member of the LGTB community.

    Any remaining fund will be distributed among the pending travel requests after the meeting.

    The CSISAC wants to thank the Ford Foundation, the Open Societies Foundation, the Government of Mexico and the Electronic Information Privacy Center (EPIC) for their economic support. That is the material foundation that makes such diversity possible.

    Civil Society Forum
    The main goals of CSISAC in the context of the OECD Ministerial on the Digital Economy are:

    • to evaluate the progress on the Seoul Declaration, and to review emerging issues in the digital realm, towards setting the Civil Society goals for the OECD,
    • to enlarge the long-term participation of civil society in the OECD process through the CSISAC, with a focus on non-governmental groups, activists and scholars from Latin America, and
    • to consolidate the recognition of the CSISAC as the main channel for civil society participation at the OECD.

    In pursuing those goals, the CSISAC is organizing a Civil Society Forum, to be held the 21st of June in the OECD Ministerial meeting venue. The purpose of the Forum is to foster the dialogue between the Civil Society participants and the governmental representatives and OECD officials attending the Ministerial meeting.

    With this purpose, a Programm Committee has been formed with active Civil Society participants, including groups, activists and scholars with an emphasis on the Latin American countries. The Forum will be structured in three Civil Society panels, where civil society, governments and the OECD will have a dialogue about the Seoul Declaration, the emerging issues and the Civil Society goals. In addition, the Forum will have a panel focused on online platforms jointly organized with TUAC, the Trade Unions Advisory Committee of the OECD. The Forum will be closed with a panel where CSISAC, TUAC, OECD and governmental representatives will reflect on the outcomes of the Forum towards the Ministerial discussion.

    The updated schedule of the Forum can be find in the CSISAC Forum site: http://csisac.org/events/cancun16/

    A maximum of 100 participants will be allowed to register for the Civil Society Forum. CSISAC members planning to attend are strongly encouraged to contact the Liaison so to ensure attendance as part of the CSISAC delegation.

    Registration and Logistics
    Participation in the Ministerial and connected events, including the Civil Society Forum requires registration in advance. Registration is needed for all participants, including those invited by the OECD or by CSISAC, and it needs to be managed personally by the involved person. Deadline for registration is the 3rd of June, 2016.

    The registration process, including deadlines, is entirely administered by the OECD through an official Ministerial site. The CSISAC do not manage the registration process. Registration for the Ministerial and connected events, including the Civil Society Forum, can only be done individually in the following link:

    There is no registration fee to participate. Travel, lodging and any other costs are expected to be provided by participants on their own. Hotel booking must be done individually by each participant in addition to the registration process. The main venue of the Ministerial conference is to be located in the 'Moon Palace' meeting complex in Cancún. Participants pursuing alternatives in the city center should consider as well transportation to the venue.

    OECD meetings: Summary of Ministerial Preparatory Meetings

    April 4, 2016

    The CSISAC has participated in the last preparatory meetings towards the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy, to be held in June 2016 in Cancun (Mexico). CSISAC took part in his meetings to bring the voice of Civil Society to the OECD policy making process. The next meeting of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Committee will take place the day after the Ministerial.

    The preparatory meetings were scheduled for preparatory purposes, focusing on the background and issue papers that will serve as the basis for the Ministerial discussions at the meeting, including the final approval of the draft Ministerial Declaration to be sent to the Ministers during the Ministerial for approval. The meetings served to finalise the Ministerial documentation and get progress in the logistics of the event. In addition, the commitee discussed the proposed ranking of the projects proposed for the 2017-2018 Program of Work and Budget and provided an update on the preparation of the Digital Economy Outlook 2017, and the Next Production Revoluion OECD project by the Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP).

    With regard to events, the agendas included the organization of the Stakeholders Forum the day before the event. During this event, the four Advisory Committees of the CDEP will meet in parallel. In addition to the CSISAC, the other stakeholders are the Business and Industry (BIAC), the Trade Union (TUAC) and the Internet Technical (ITAC) advisory committees. The CSISAC is working to organize a Civil Society Forum where activists, academics and experts gather to exchange views on the analyzed topics and provide a constructive input to the Ministerial's discussion. The CSISAC presented the event's agenda prepared by the CSISAC Forum Program Committee, together with TUAC, and explored options with the OECD and the member states to have official representatives in the Forum to foster and active dialogue with civil society representatives.

    In addition to the logistics, the CSISAC has been active in the preparation of the documentation of the Ministerial, including the background and discussion papers and the draft Declaration expected to be adopted by the Ministers at the end of the event. All along the process started in January 2015, the CSISAC has been pursuing the Civil Society goals, achieving improved recognition of and committment to human rights standards, respect for the rule of law, privacy and data protection or consumer rights among other outcomes reflected in the Ministerial narrative.

    The CSISAC has been instrumental in leveling up the importance of privacy and data protection; in preserving the references to cryptography; and in alligning the Ministerial goals with the UN agenda and the NetMundial Multistakeholder Statement; and in fostering participation parity in the decision making models. The CSISAC achieved to develop a more inclusive approach to ICT adoption and use, and also in the approaches to reduce of social costs derived from job displacement promotion of skills development, now explicitly mention gaps affecting women. The needs of the most vulnerable groups are recognised, and support for the sustainable development goals (SDG) have been included. This achievements can be recognized in the current draft of the Ministerial Declaration and the background references to be sent to the Ministers.

    The CSISAC will continue working pursuing the goals of the Civil Society Seoul Declaration focusing on the preparation of the Civil Society Forum the day before the Ministerial. Several topics need further recognition, like the need to frame protection of privacy and security as part of the digital safety and therefore to be reinforced, instead of a 'problem' to be solved; and fairness and inclusion and a greater focus on development and sustainable growth. New issues have been introduced in the discuss that needs to register further progress like the lack of meaningful measurement on openess, privacy, and security; and the differenciation between trust of the users and the trustworthiness of the systems supporting the Internet of the Things. Emerging issues like artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and blockchain, new challenges on security and cryptography, the impact of trade agreements, online platform monopolies, and new findings on mass surveillance need to be developed and fostered as well.

    The CSISAC is actively searching for civil society groups, activists and experts to participate in the Forum and the Ministerial discussions, with a focus on participants from the Latin America region. Participation in the Forum and the Ministerial requires registration in advance, where a maximum of 100 participants will be allowed to register due to limitation in the available space. Details on logistics and participation have been published to facilitate engagement: http://csisac.org/2016/03/oecd_ministerial_registration_.php

    OECD Meetings: CSISAC to Participate in the Ministerial Preparatory Meetings

    February 11, 2016

    The next meeting of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Committee will take place from the 22nd and 23rd of February, and the 29th of March to the 1st of April 2016 at the OECD headquarters in Paris (France). CSISAC will take part in this meetings to bring the voice of Civil Society to the OECD policy making process.

    The first meeting is scheduled for preparatory purposes, focusing on the background and issue papers that will serve as the basis for the Ministerial discussions at the meeting, including the final approval of a draft Ministerial Declaration to be sent to the Ministers during the Ministerial for approval. The second meeting will be the last preparatory meeting towards the Ministerial, and it is expected to finalise the Ministerial documentation, and is expected to include discussions on getting progress in the logistics and the contents of the event. In addition, the meeting will review the CDEP Program of Work and Budget 2017-2018, and will provide an update on the preparation of the Digital Economy Outlook 2017, and the Next Production Revoluion OECD project by the Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP).

    With regard to events, the agendas will include the organization of the Stakeholders Forum the day before the event including in addition to CSISAC, the Business and Industry (BIAC), Trade Union (TUAC) and Internet Technical (ITAC) advisory committees. CSISAC is working to organize a Civil Society Forum where activists, academics and experts gather to exchange views on the analyzed topics and provide a constructive input to the Ministerial's discussion. At the meeting, the CSISAC will present the provisional agenda prepared by the CSISAC Forum Program Committee, together with TUAC. In addition, the CSISAC will be exploring options with the OECD and the member states to have official representatives in the Forum so to foster and active dialogue with civil society representatives.

    The CSISAC is actively searching for participants from Latin America to take part in the preparatory work and participate in the Forum. Participation in the Forum and the Ministerial requires registration in advance, where a maximum of 100 participants will be allowed to register due to limitation in the available space. Details on logistics and participation have been published to facilitate engagement at http://csisac.org/2016/03/oecd_ministerial_registration_.php.

    OECD Ministerial: Registration Open

    March 14, 2016

    The OECD has opened the registration process to attend the Ministerial Conference on the Digital Economy: Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity, to be held the 21-23 June 2016 in Cancún (México). The CSISAC encourages civil society participants to engage in the preparatory work and to register for participation in the Ministerial. This post provides the basic information on registration, logistics and travel support to participate in the Ministerial.

    Registration and Logistics
    Participation in the Ministerial and connected events, including the Civil Society Forum on the first day, will require registration in advance. Registration is needed for all participants, including those invited by the OECD or by CSISAC, and it needs to be managed personally by the involved person.

    Registration deadline is June 3, 2016. A maximum of 100 participants will be allowed to register for the Civil Society Forum. CSISAC members planning to attend are strongly encouraged to contact the Liaison so to ensure attendance as part of the CSISAC delegation.

    The registration process, including deadlines, is entirely administered by the OECD through an official Ministerial site. The CSISAC do not manage the registration process. Registration for the Ministerial and connected events, including the Civil Society Forum, can only be done individually in the following link: http://www.gob.mx/economiadigital/en/

    There is no registration fee to participate. Travel, lodging and any other costs are expected to be provided by participants on their own. Hotel booking must be done individually by each participant in addition to the registration process. The main venue of the Ministerial conference is to be located in the 'Moon Palace' meeting complex in Cancún. Those pursuing cheaper alternatives in the city center should consider as well transportation to the venue.

    Travel Support
    The Steering Committee of the CSISAC is looking for opportunities to support travel costs of CSISAC members planning to attend the CSISAC Forum. A travel fund is planned to be available thanks to the contributions made by the Ford Foundation, the Open Societies Foundation and the Government of México among others. The priority to distribute the available fund among the eligible participants will be decided according to the following criteria.

    • Criteria 1: Goal alignment. Priority will be given to participants showing engagement with the goals of the Civil Society Seoul Declaration and involvement in the preparation of the Forum and the Ministerial.
    • Criteria 2: Capacity building. Priority will be given to participants belonging to and representing established groups. The purpose is to encourage participation from groups that stand to benefit the most and develop capacities at the forum. In the case of individuals, activists will get priority over experts and scholars.
    • Criteria 3: Regional diversity. Priority will be given, in this order, to groups from 1) Latin America, with priority to those operating in OECD countries, 2) Africa, 3) BRICs.

    Support for travel is decided by the Steering Committee of the CSISAC and requires the approval of a travel budget in advance to the event. Approved travel budgets are to be reimbursed after the event only, so participants need to purchase travel tickets and lodging on their own. Participants are not eligible for travel support when they benefit from funding granted by the same entities sponsoring CSISAC travel to the Ministerial.

    Request for travel support is done sending the following information to liaison@csisac.org: i) contact data, ii) expression of
    interest stating how participation CSISAC Forum can benefit the
    applicant/ organization, iii) short biography showing the engagement
    with the Seoul Declaration, iv) a travel budget including transportation
    costs and any other requested am mount, v) registration confirmation or invitation letter, if any.

    About CSISAC and the OECD
    CSISAC is the voice of civil society at the OECD Committee on the Digital Economy Policy. We facilitate the exchange of information between the OECD and civil society participants, leading to better-informed and more widely accepted policy frameworks. The formal recognition of this Advisory Committee by the OECD was the result of an effort initiated in the 1990s decade to promote participation parity in the global policy-making. Today, the CSISAC is the main venue to channel the participation of civil society in the OECD work on the digital economy.

    You can learn more about CSISAC visiting the official website, or sending your question to the CSISAC Liaison <liaison@csisac.org>

    OECD Ministerial: Civil Society Roadmap to Cancún 2016

    January 28, 2016

    The OECD has announced a Ministerial Conference about Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity in the context of the Digital Economy, to be held 21-23 June 2016 in Cancún (México). This event is expected to set the agenda for the digitalisalization of the global economy in the following decade. Provided the deep implications of that process for social justice and human rights, the CSISAC is working to foster the voice of civil society in this event, according to the goals of the Seoul Declaration.

    The OECD 2016 Ministerial on the Digital Economy

    An OECD Ministerial is a meeting that gathers the Ministers of the OECD Member countries to discuss a topic considered of high relevance by the OECD Council. OECD Ministerials can be very influential, because they have binding effects for its Member countries. The broad toolkit of OECD standards implemented worldwide to deploy the ICT exemplify the importance of the Ministerial outcomes. Ministerials can be also the source of substantial institutional change: for example, the formal recognition of the civil society Advisory Committee, CSISAC, was a direct implication of the OECD 2008 Ministerial on the Future of the Internet in Seoul.

    The field of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) captured the attention of the OECD from its very inception, having held 13 Ministerials in connected issues from 1963 to the latest one in 2008. As the result of this engagement with the ICT, the OECD became the source of many referential policy-making tools and research resources6. The 2016 Ministerial meeting builds on the previous OECD Ministerial meetings on the topic, now to shape the digitalisation of the global economy in the following decade.

    The main focus of the 2016 Cancún Ministerial is the Digital Economy, where Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity are the most prominent areas for potential change. In order to evaluate those policy challenges, the Committee for the Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) has structured the Ministerial discussion in four key policy areas to be developed through the following set of parallel panels:

    Topic 1: Internet Openness and Innovation
    Panel 1.1 The Economic and Social Benefits of Internet Openness. The notion as well as the economic and social implications of 'Internet Openess' with regard to the internal flows of data is the main point of this panel. The OECD Recommendation on Principles for Internet Policy Making will be the main reference for this panel.

    Panel 1.2 Stimulating Digital Innovation across the Economy. Ministers will be invited to discuss economic policies and practices to foster digital innovation capable to support policy objectives like regional development, and addressing poverty.

    Topic 2: Building Global Connectivity
    Panel 2.1 Improving Networks and Services through Convergence. The debate about network neutrality, or traffic prioritisation shape how the Internet will be used. This panel will discuss how digital convergence is affecting policy and regulation, highlighting the impact on economic and social development.

    Panel 2.2 Tomorrow's Internet of Things. As billions of devices come online, the Internet of Things (IoT) is seen as major source of change similar to the introduction of the electricity or the combustion engine. This panel will discuss the economic and societal implications of the IoT.

    Topic 3: Trust in the Digital Economy
    Panel 3.1 Consumer Trust and Market Growth. This panel will explore challenging consumer issues raised by emerging business models, and the link between consumer trust and market growth. The panel will also consider the revision of the OECD 1999 E-commerce Recommendation.

    Panel 3.2 Co-operation in Managing Digital Security and Privacy Risk. The panel will showcase lessons on digital security and privacy risk management and explore options for policy implementation. It will discuss the impacts of digital security and privacy incidents, exploring the challenges facing small and medium entreprises and individuals, as well as the opportunities to develop and implement effective risk management strategies.

    Topic 4: Jobs and Skills in the Digital Economy
    Panel 4.1 New Markets and New Jobs in the Digital Economy. This panel will aim to identify effective policy principles to foster employment creation in new economic activities enabled by the digital economy and to mitigate the social costs of job displacement in mature industries.

    Panel 4.2 Skills for a Digital World. This panel will invite Ministers to discuss new approaches to education, training and re-skilling to meet the fast-changing demand for new skills in the digital economy.

    In order to structure the discussion, the CDEP has agreed on a three day set of parallel panels, beginning with a set of Forums organized by the CDEP Advisory Committees (BIAC, TUAC, CSISAC and ITAC) during the first day, followed by the Ministerial discussion on the key policy areas the second and third days. The most updated information about the CSISAC Forum and the Ministerial panels can be found in the respective official sites:

    The Civil Society Roadmap

    The CSISAC goal for Cancun is to pursue the recommendations and goals put forward in the Seoul Declaration. As the formally recognised Advisory Committee for civil society, the CSISAC will organize a Forum to convene civil society participants at the Ministerial. However, CSISAC believes that the participation of Civil Society cannot be restrained to the Forum only, and should be extended to the Ministerial discussions as well. With the purpose of achieving that goal, the CSISAC Steering Committee has proposed the following roadmap to facilitate the engagement of civil society participants in the Ministerial.

    Stakeholders Forums
    To organize the civil society Forum. The purpose of the CSISAC Forum is to convene civil society participants to evaluate the OECD implementation of the recommendations set in the Civil Society Seoul Declaration, to explore the implications of emerging ICT issues for human rights and social justice, and to set the civil society goals for the future OECD agenda. A Program Committee is being formed to help developing the program of the forum, to identify potential speakers and to coordinate the civil society papers. At the same time, the CSISAC Steering Committee is working to retrieve the necessary resources to ensure meaningful participation from civil society in the Forum, with a focus on Latin America and the BRICs. The Steering Committee is also evaluating options to cast the event using streaming and social media platforms to encourage participation and transparency. Opportunities to engage in the program drafting will remain open until April 15, 2016. Opportunities to engage in the civil society papers will remain open until May 15, 2016. All the information about the Civil Society Forum is kept updated in the 2016 CSISAC Forum site.

    To coordinate with other stakeholders. In addition to the CSISAC, the OECD formally recognizes other three stakeholders at the CDEP: Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) together with the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) and the Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC). In pursuing the goals of the Civil Society Seoul Declaration, the CSISAC has maintained a fruitful coordination with the other stakeholders. An example is the Seoul Declaration, which was signed together with TUAC. The CSISAC is planning to extend that coordination during the Ministerial looking forward for opportunities to organize joint panels, share speakers, or to organize commont events like press conferences. Opportunities to engage in this work are binded to the ellaboration of the CSISAC Forum (see previous item).

    Ministerial Panels
    The CSISAC is actively working to extend the presence of civil society speakers and perspectives in the Ministerial Panels.

    To nominate civil society speakers for the panels. As 'the voice of Civil Society at the OECD', the CSISAC is fostering the inclusion of leaders of non-governmental organizations and experts from civil society as speakers in the ministerial panels. With that purpose CSISAC engaged in the preparatory work of the CDEP, submitting a proposal of potential speakers to be considered by the OECD link to the summary of the 70th CDEP. CSISAC will continue to work to extend the presence of Civil Society, focusing on women and a more activist profile, as well as in fostering a more balanced regional participation. The opportunity to engage in this work is expected to remain open until the end of March 2016.

    To foster a civil society perspective in the contents of the panels. As showed in the agenda, the OECD plans to structure the Ministerial discussions through a set of parallel panels about four main topics in the second and third day, with two panels per topic, and two topics per day. The first day will hold the panels on the Open Internet in parallel with those about Trust (security and privacy), having the panels on Global Connectivity running in parallel to those on Jobs and Skills in the last day. For each panel, the OECD will prepare a set of background documents and summaries to support the discussion in the panel. As the contents of those documents will drive the discussion, CSISAC is working to improve as much as possible the inclusion of the perspectives fostered by civil society participants in consistency with the Civil Society Seoul Declaration. Engagement with written comments is expected to remain open until April 13, 2016.

    Ministerial Outcomes
    The main goal of CSISAC is the adoption by the OECD of the recommendations set out in the Civil Society Seoul Declaration. The Seoul Declaration is a set of recommendations in twelve areas, like enforcement of the 1980 Cryptography and Privacy Guidelines; opposition to mandated filtering, censorship of Internet content; enforcement of consumer protection laws; promotion of learning and training opportunities for workers and carbon footprint lowering; opposition to the extensions of copyright terms and private ownership of essential knowledge and cultural information; or inclusive digital society, with particular attention should be paid to rural, remote and aboriginal populations, as well as the disability community.

    To pursue the Civil Society Seoul Goals in the Ministerial Decisions. The main outcome of OECD Ministerials are the decision papers, usually a statement or declaration about the agreement reached by the Ministers during the meeting. Provided the deep and long lasting impact of the OECD recommendations, the work on the Ministerial declaration is among the highest priorities for CSISAC. The support of CSISAC to the Ministerial decision is expected to be conditional on the support of the OECD for the Seoul goals. The CSISAC has been closely monitoring the discussion, submitting proposals in the two revisions. Engagement on writen comments for declaration drafting will remain open until February 10, 2016.

    Implementation of the Ministerial Outcomes. The Ministerial process do not finish the last day of the meeting. Once adopted by the Council, the Ministerial decisions entry into force, binding Member countries and the OECD to implement the agreements. The CSISAC will define the roadmap to implement the Ministerial outcomes in the program of work and budgets of the Committee until 2020.

    About CSISAC and the OECD
    CSISAC is the voice of civil society at the OECD Committee on the Digital Economy Policy. We facilitate the exchange of information between the OECD and civil society participants, leading to better-informed and more widely accepted policy frameworks. The formal recognition of this Advisory Committee by the OECD was the result of an effort initiated in the 1990s decade to promote participation parity in the global policy-making. Today, the CSISAC is the main venue to channel the participation of civil society in the OECD work on the digital economy.

    You can learn more about CSISAC visiting csisac.org, or sending your question to the CSISAC Liaison