Internet Governance Archives – Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

23Jun

Amplifying African Voices in Global Digital Governance

CIPESA Writer June 23, 2025June 26, 2025

By CIPESA Writer |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will be participating at the 2025 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Norway. The IGF serves as key global multistakeholder platform that facilitates the discussion of public policy issues pertaining to the Internet. This year, the Forum takes place from June 23-27, 2025 in Lillestrom, Norway under the overarching theme of Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future.

CIPESA will contribute expertise across multiple sessions that examine digital rights in the Global South. These include discussions on repressive cyber laws and their impact on civic space, inclusive and harmonised data governance frameworks for Africa, and the barriers to participation in global technical standards development. CIPESA will also join sessions highlighting cross-regional cooperation on data governance, digital inclusion of marginalised groups, and the need for multilingual accessibility in global digital processes. CIPESA will also support a booth (number #57) hosted by the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) of which it is a member. The booth will showcase activities and resources, including the winners of the AI Artivism for Digital Rights Competition, the Youth Voices for Digital Rights programme, and much more. Through these engagements, CIPESA enhance and amplify African perspectives on platform accountability, digital justice, and rights-based approaches to internet governance.The insights gathered and shared at the IGF will also inform the upcoming 2025 edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica25) – an event convened annually by CIPESA. The Forum, now in its 12th year ranks as Africa’s leading platform for shaping digital rights, inclusion, and governance conversations. This year, the Forum will be hosted in Windhoek, Namibia and will take place on September 24–26, 2025.

Here is where to find CIPESA @ IGF2025 ..

Monday, June 23 | 16:00-17:00 (CEST) – Workshop Room 3

Day 0 Event #257: Enhancing Data Governance in the Public Sector

This session will examine the state of data governance in the public sector of developing countries, emphasizing the importance of inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagement. It highlights how current frameworks often centre government institutions while neglecting interoperability, collaboration, and broader policy cohesion. Using global case studies—particularly from Papua New Guinea—it will spotlight challenges and propose innovations like centralized oversight bodies, interoperable platforms, and adaptive governance. Best practices such as real-time analytics, data partnerships, and capacity building will be explored to support scalable and context-specific governance solutions.

Tuesday, June 24 | 14:45–15:45 (CEST) – Workshop Room 4

Open Forum #56: Shaping Africa’s Digital Future: Multi-Stakeholder Panel on Data Governance

As Africa advances its digital transformation, harmonized data governance is critical to unlocking the continent’s potential for inclusive growth and digital trade. Fragmented national policies and inconsistent cross-border data frameworks create barriers to innovation, privacy, and cybersecurity. This session will convene stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society to explore strategies for regulatory alignment, trusted data flows, and climate-resilient governance models. Aligned with the AU Data Policy Framework, it will highlight best practices to build a unified, rights-respecting digital economy in Africa.

Tuesday, June 24 | 13:30-15:30 (CEST) – Room Studio N

Parliamentary session 4: From dialogue to action: Advancing digital cooperation across regions and stakeholder groups

Host: UN, Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) and Inter Parliamentary UnionInternet (IPU)

Building on the outputs of the 2024 IGF Parliamentary Track and the discussions held so far in 2025, this multi-stakeholder consultation will bring together MPs and key digital players to reflect on how to operationalize concrete, inclusive and collaborative policymaking efforts. All groups will be invited to propose cooperative approaches to building digital governance and identify practical steps for sustaining cooperation beyond the IGF.

Wednesday, June 25 | 17:30 -19:00(CEST) – Workshop room 4, NOVA Spektrum

Side event: Aspirations for the India AI Impact Summit

Hosts: CIPESA, Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University Delhi (CCG), United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET).

This closed-door dialogue aims to spark early conversations toward an inclusive and representative Global AI Impact Summit, focusing on the participation of Global Majority experts. It will explore meaningful engagement in Summit working groups, side events, and knowledge sharing, especially building on insights from the Paris Summit. The session is part of a broader effort to host multiple convenings that strengthen diverse stakeholder participation in global AI governance. By addressing foundational questions now, the dialogue seeks to shape intentional, impactful, and inclusive discussions at the upcoming Summit.

Wednesday June 25 | 09:00-09:45 (CEST) – Workshop Room 4

Networking Session #93: Cyber Laws and Civic Space – Global South–North Advocacy Strategies

Host: CADE

Many governments are enacting cyber laws to address online crime, but these often contain vague provisions that enable repression of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens. In practice, such laws have facilitated mass surveillance, curtailed privacy, and been weaponised to stifle dissent, particularly under authoritarian regimes. This session brings together Global North and Global South civil society actors to exchange experiences, resources, and strategies for resisting repressive cyber legislation. It will focus on how collaborative advocacy can support legal reform and safeguard digital rights through shared tools, solidarity, and policy influence.

Wednesday, June 25 | 14:15–15:30 (CEST) – Workshop Room 4

Open Forum #7: Advancing Data Governance Together – Across Regions

Hosts: CIPESA, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, The Republic of The Gambia

As cross-border data flows grow rapidly, effective data governance is essential for fostering trust, security, and inclusive digital development. However, fragmented national regulations and inconsistent privacy and cybersecurity standards pose challenges to regional and global cooperation. This session brings together stakeholders from Africa, the Eastern Partnership, and the Western Balkans to explore harmonized, interoperable governance models that support responsible data sharing and economic growth. Through collaborative dialogue, the session will identify strategies for aligning data governance with digital rights, innovation, and sustainable development across diverse regional contexts.

Thursday, June 26 | 12:30–13:00 (CEST) – Open Stage

Lightning Talk #90: Tower of Babel Chaos – Tackling the Challenges of Multilingualism for Inclusive Communication

Host: CADE

This interactive session, led by members of the Civil Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE), highlights the communication challenges faced in global digital forums due to linguistic, gender, and geographic diversity. Using a flash-mob-style simulation, participants will experience firsthand the difficulties of multistakeholder dialogue when multiple native languages intersect without common understanding. The session underscores that language is often the most significant barrier to meaningful inclusion in global digital governance. It aims to provoke thought on the urgent need for more multilingual and accessible participation in international digital policy spaces.

Thursday, June 26 | 16:00-17:00 (CEST) – Workshop Room 6

WS #214: AI Readiness in Africa in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape

Host: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supported by GIZ

AI has vast potential, but without proper governance, it risks deepening inequality and reinforcing Africa’s dependency on global tech powers. Despite growing local engagement, Africa remains underrepresented in global AI development due to limited investment, regulatory gaps, and the dominance of multinational firms, raising concerns about digital exploitation. This session will bring together diverse voices to explore how Africa can build inclusive, locally rooted AI ecosystems that protect rights and serve regional needs.

Friday, June 27 | 09:00–10:00 (CEST) – Workshop Room 2

Open Forum #34: How Technical Standards Shape Connectivity and Inclusion

Host: Freedom Online Coalition

Technical standards are essential to enabling global connectivity, interoperability, and inclusive digital access, but their development often excludes voices from the Global Majority and marginalized communities. This session will examine how open and interoperable standards can bridge the digital divide, focusing on infrastructure such as undersea cables, network protocols, and security frameworks. It will explore barriers to inclusive participation in standard-setting bodies like the ITU, IETF, IEEE, and W3C, and identify strategies for transparency and multistakeholder engagement. By promoting equitable, rights-respecting technical governance, the session aims to support digital inclusion and advance sustainable development goals.

Friday, June 27 | 11:45–12:30 (CEST) – Workshop Room 6

Networking Session #74: Mapping Digital Rights Capacities and Threats

Host: Oxfam

This session will present findings from multi-country research on digital rights capacities and threats, with a focus on historically marginalised groups in the Global South. It will showcase innovative strategies and tools used to build digital literacy and awareness, using poster presentations from Bolivia, Cambodia, Palestine, Somalia, and Vietnam. Participants will engage in a moderated discussion to share practical approaches and collaborate on building a more inclusive, rights-based digital ecosystem. The session will also contribute to a shared online repository of tools, fostering international cooperation and capacity-building through the ReCIPE program led by Oxfam.

Friday, June 27 | 11:45–12:30 (CEST) – Workshop Room 5

Networking Session #200 – Cross-Regional Connections for Information Resilience

Host: Proboxve

This networking session brings together participants from diverse regions to connect, share experiences, and develop collaborative strategies for safeguarding information integrity in electoral processes while upholding internet freedoms. The session will address critical challenges such as disinformation, censorship, foreign interference, platform manipulation, and civic education, emphasizing the importance of protecting digital rights, especially during elections.

13Dec

Reflecting on the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) at the Internet Governance Forum 2017

admin December 13, 2017

IGF Pre-event |
Join the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) at the Internet Governance Forum 2017 where we will share on the evolution of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) at a pre-event on December 17, 2017!
We’ll explore insights from our latest report on the State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2017 themed Intermediaries’ Role In Advancing Internet Freedom – Challenges And Prospects as well as uncover what is sometimes left out of discussions on the economic impacts of internet shutdowns in Sub-Saharan Africa. For this discussion we’ll reference a new framework we developed this year. You can see more about it here: Calculating the Economic Impact of Internet Disruptions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Are you keen on going into the IGF with a solid background on the internet freedom landscape in Africa? Join us as we reflect on the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica), discuss its evolution, the lessons learnt, the gaps and opportunities that lie ahead for policy development and practical advancement of digital rights in Africa.

Venue: Join us at Room 18, Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG)
Location: 17 rue de Varembé, CH – 1211 Genève 20
Date: Sunday, December 17, 2017
Time: 13h30 – 14h30

We’ll also share how various organisations have supported the growth of the FIFAfrica in various ways ranging from increasing participation of African delegates, in-depth research and analysis, unique workshops, through to skills exchange and network building.
To confirm attendance, please register here.

10Dec

Building Africa’s Capacity on Internet Governance

admin December 10, 2014

By Juliet N. Nanfuka
The growth of the internet has seen numerous efforts to ensure its equitable and sustainable use. A key outcome is the concept of Internet Governance (IG) based on the principle that no single entity owns or controls the internet but rather a range of players who reflect the diversity of users globally participates in its governance.
Over the years, IG has gained prominence through platforms such as the Internet Governance Forums which are hosted annually at national, regional and global level.
In 2013, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) through its e-Africa Programme and the Association for Progressive Communication (APC) established the African School on Internet Governance. The school seeks to address IG issues from an African perspective while at the same time equipping more players from the continent to contribute and participate more meaningfully in the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.
This year, CIPESA alongside participants and faculty members from over 20 countries collectively shared unique insights, experiences and understanding of internet governance at the school which took place between 21 and 25 November in Mauritius. The participants, from backgrounds including government, academia, civil society and the private sector, explored the complexities of internet governance with interactive talks and presentations. They mapped out the course that internet governance has taken to-date, the various institutions and policy processes, emerging human rights issues, and what different African countries are doing with regards to IG.

“As it often happens, Africans have not been at the forefront of the internet and its related issues, but gradually we are realising the potentials of the internet and the need to make our voices heard in its governance. With platforms such as AfriSIG building capacities of Africans from different stakeholder groups and the worth of information available on the internet, I see a brighter future for Africa in IG issues both at the continental and global levels.” Dora Mawutor of the Media Foundation for West Africa – Participant at the African School on Internet Governance

Central to the school was that participants garnered an understanding of the roles of the different internet stakeholders, the varied interests they have and how all this impacts upon outcomes at an IG multi-stakeholder meeting when trying to reach consensus on an issue.
While initiatives like the Africa IG school demonstrate movements to better equip more people from the African continent to drive IG locally and at international IG fora, in many countries local factors such as poor access, limited local content, low literacy and high costs remain areas that require more focus and locally driven solutions.
However, facets of IG in Africa especially where it applies to security, privacy, surveillance and intermediary liability still require further scrutiny. As seen in the State of Internet Freedoms in East Africa 2014 report, these issues are increasingly impacting upon human rights, freedom of the press, critical opposition and equality, among others, on the continent.
It is also essential that building Africa’s capacity in IG is tailored to also accommodate the unique needs and requirements of its internet users such as the availability of non-Latin script African languages online to contribute towards local content and cultural preservation.
It is, however, worth noting that despite existing challenges, many African governments and civil society actors are making progress in strengthening internet related frameworks that support the fundamentals of a free, open and secure internet. Helping shape the continent’s approach to protecting internet rights are initiatives such as the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms.
Similarly, the NetRightsNG initiative of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria is collaborating other players to champion a Digital Rights and Freedom Bill in Nigeria. In Uganda, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA) and National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) have developed a Draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill (2014) which is currently going through a process of review and commentary by citizens.
As more African countries map the way forward for the information age, there remains the need to ensure that valuable contributions are made to global Internet Governance as it is this very participation that will define the further adoption of internet governance principles in Africa.

06Dec

Internet Governance in Uganda

admin December 6, 2014

By Juliet Nanfuka |
The Uganda Internet Governance Forum (UIGF) has since 2006 been a platform for deliberation on internet governance concerns in the country. Debates at the annual forum have progressed from prioritising access and infrastructure to global trends in the internet governance agenda such as the need for increased advocacy of online freedoms, protection of vulnerable users – including children and women, intermediary liability, and net neutrality.
In 2006, when the UIGF was initiated, the government was embarking on the roll-out of the National Data Transmission Backbone Infrastructure and e-Government Infrastructure Project (NBI/EGI) to connect all major towns, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to the national optic cable grid. At the time, the Uganda Communications Commission reported just 175,568 active mobile internet users in the country.
As more Ugandan users came online, vulnerability to cyber crime and fraud were recognised,, which led to the government to enact the cyber security laws (Electronic Transactions Act, 2011, e-signatures Act 2011 and Computer Misuse Act, 2011) and the establishment of the Uganda Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) in 2012.
By December 2014, the number of internet users in the country had grown to 8.5 million. Meanwhile, the NBI/EGI connected 27 ministries and departments, and 22 district headquarters through 1,400Kms of fibre optic cable. The infrastructure supports the integrated financial management system, video conferencing and secure messaging and collaboration platforms, among others.
To further address emerging internet governance issues, the government last December published the draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill 2014 and solicited stakeholder comments through the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U).
Also in 2014, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)’s global cyber security index listed Uganda as second in Africa after Mauritius in adopting and driving polices that support cyber security.
The 8^th national Internet Governance Forum hosted in Kampala in December 2014 drew participants from civil society, academia, private sector and government. The event also served as the launch of the Global Information Society (GIS) Watch 2014 Uganda report.
Issues discussed were internet affordability and increased access, the management of the .ug country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), cyber security management, the transition stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and the status of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) transition to IPv6 in Uganda.
During the panel on “Cyber security versus data protection and privacy”, Jimmy Haguma, Acting Commissioner/Electronic Counter Measures of the Uganda Police Force (UPF), said the police have to protect the interests of national security as well as of users online from fraudulent activity.

According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime and Road Safety Report of 2013, a total of 45 cyber crime cases were reported and investigated, in which about 18.1 billion Uganda Shillings (UGX) equivalent to USD 579,000 – was lost through hacking victims’ mails, among other means. Between August and November 2014, mobile money fraud resulted in losses of UGX 207 million (USD 80,000) while, ATM fraud led to losses totaling over UGX 1.2 billion (USD 460,000)’.

Participants responded that while security is a legitimate concern, it should not be used to curtail human rights. They highlighted contradictory clauses in the cyber laws and other legislation that infringe upon privacy, as well as citizens right to freedom of expression online, particularly by groups such as the media and human rights activists.
Specific emphasis was placed on the issue of violence against women online and a call was made to adopt and implement gender-friendly ICT laws. Participants noted that women have fallen victim to misuse of the very laws that are meant to protect them, as was witnessed in the case of local artist Desire Luzinda whose nude images were shared online and as a result was faced with potential charges under the Anti-Pornography Act of 2014.
Intermediary liability and net neutrality were also fronted as significant issues to address given their impact on local content, free speech, and online economic opportunities.
Meanwhile, participants were urged by panelists to contribute to local and global internet governance discussions, so as to maintain multi-stakeholderism on the matter and to promote the African stake in the debates.
As the UIGF continues to mature into a platform for deliberating on internet development in the country, areas that need more attention include: development of relevant local online content, child online protection, increased stakeholder engagement in the development of progressive laws and policies as well as their speedy enactment.
UIGF 2014 was hosted by Internet Society (ISOC) Uganda in partnership with the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) under the theme ‘Strengthening Uganda’s Critical Internet Resources’. As part of its work in research, advocacy, and awareness raising on how internet governance impacts on development and governance, CIPESA is currently implementing the OpenNet Africa project, which monitors and promotes internet freedoms primarily in East Africa.

14Mar

CIPESA, A Snapshot

admin March 14, 2013

In 2013, we continue to work to promote the inclusiveness of the information society. Under three thematic areas (Internet Governance, ICTs for Democracy and Open Data & eGovernance), our projects this year span 6 counties (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and Uganda). Highlights of our focus, projects and activities are summarised here .

Tag Archives: Internet Governance