Introduction

From IGFWiki

The Internet Governance Forum, or IGF, is a forum formed under the auspices of the United Nations, to provide "a transparent, democratic, and multilateral process, with the participation of governments, private sector, civil society and international organisations, in their respective roles" for dialogue on Internet Governance policy.The Internet Governance Forum, or IGF, is a forum formed under the auspices of the United Nations, to provide "a transparent, democratic, and multilateral process, with the participation of governments, private sector, civil society and international organisations, in their respective roles" for dialogue on Internet Governance policy.

The IGF was formed following an agreement known as the Tunis Agenda on the Information Society which was settled by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in November 2005. The WSIS in turn had been formed by the ITU and had previously met in Geneva in December 2003, when a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) was formed to assist in clarifying certain issues ahead of the Tunis meeting.

The Tunis Agenda explicitly states that the IGF's work is to be "non-binding", and that it will involve a "multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent" process with "full involvement" of "all stakeholders involved in this process". Its first meeting took place in Athens between 30 October and 2 November 2006, its second in Rio between 12 and 15 November 2007, its third in Hyderabad between 3 and 6 December 2008, and its fourth in Sharm el Sheikh between 14 and 18 November 2009.