CSISAC Forum: Cancun, Mexico June 2016

CSISAC Forum
Towards an Inclusive, Equitable, and Accountable Digital Economy

Cancun, Mexico
21 June 2016

The digital economy has undergone rapid changes since the Ministerial in Seoul. Large, new powerful companies control vast amounts of the Internet. Consolidation continues to outpace innovation. The impact on fairness, equality, and fundamental rights is widely seen. Civil Society proposes to engage the OECD, member countries, and others in a dialogue with Civil Society on fundamental social concerns Towards an Inclusive, Equitable, and Accountable Digital Economy. The Civil Society Forum will be held the 21th of June in Cancún, México during the second day of the OECD 2016 Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy: Innovation, Growth, and Social Prosperity (20-23 June, 2016).

Goals

The Civil Society Forum will be held the 21th of June in Cancún, México during the second day of the OECD 2016 Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy: Innovation, Growth, and Social Prosperity (20-23 June, 2016). The Forum is organized by the Civil Society Advisory Committee (CSISAC) to the OECD Committee on the Digital Economy (CDEP). The main goals for CSISAC in the context of the Ministerial are:

to evaluate progress on Seoul and review emerging issues in the digital realm from a civil society perspective to set the goals for the OECD towards 2030,
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 in the OECD work on the Digital Economy Policy.

Structure

The CSISAC Forum will start with a welcoming session, followed by five panels. The event will include a joint lunch, and it will be closed with a joint press release together with the other OECD Advisory Committees - Business Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC); Trade Unions Advisory Committee (TUAC); and Internet Technical Community Advisory Committee (ITAC).

The welcoming session will be opened by a welcoming remark provided by a high level OECD representative for about 15 minutes, followed by a keynote to help shaping the main underlying theme for a maximum of 30 minutes. The session will be closed with an exchange with the audience for the remaining time. The introductions and moderation will be facilitated by a CSISAC representative.

The panels will consist of two rounds of questions followed by an open debate. The first round will ask panelists to identify the challenges they see, during a maximum of 3 minutes slots. In a second round, the moderator will establish a dialogue asking the panelists for their expert view about the solution they propose for their respective issues in the context of the panel topic. For the remaining time, the floor will be open for a debate, inviting a Latin American group in the first place.

Civil Society Panels: The first three panels will focus on Civil Society topics. Panel 1 will evaluate the progress of the OECD on the Seoul Declaration towards identifying the work done and next steps for improvement. Panel 2 will explore the emerging issues in the digital economy from a civil society perspective, and it will include a keynote provided by a technological expert. Panel 3 will identify the main goals of Civil Society for the OECD, with a focus on the work of the OECD Committee on the Digital Economy Policy (CDEP).
CSISAC-TUAC Panels: Two additional panels will be jointly held with the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), the body that represents the global labour movement at the OECD. Panel 4 will address the impact of digitalisation in consumers and workers. Panel 5 will serve to close the Forum fostering a dialogue about the outcomes of the CSISAC and TUAC forums, together with High Level OECD and Governmental representatives.