APC staff and members will be in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the fifth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum. We’ll be running two workshops and hosting a pre-event on human rights. Here’s a quick review of our activities. We’ll be providing on-site coverage for those of you following the IGF remotely.

After regional IGF processes in the US, UK and Kenya have demonstrated that national discussions can have an impact at the global level on issues such as child pornography and internet security, West Africa will host its first regional IGF from August 23 to 25 in Dakar Senegal, in part thanks to APC. The space for policy dialogue on Internet Governance will allow for issues that are particular to West Africa to be discussed by the different stakeholders.

Attempts to get human rights on the internet onto the agenda at the Fifth Internet Governance Forum –the UN conference now in its possibly final edition— which is to take place in September foundered in the face of government resistance. And the IGF agenda for 2010 will focus on development and internet governance. However Vilnius will be the scenario to shape a debate on censorship, freedom of expression and privacy that has been clamouring for attention. APC and partners will hold a discussion on internet governance and human rights immediately before the IGF in Vilnius, Lithuania on September 13.

Registration for the third Latin American and the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum is now open. The event will take place from 3-5 August in Quito, Ecuador. There will be financial assistance for representatives of organisations active in internet issues from LAC.

APC, the NUPEF Institute, and the Regional Internet Address Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC) are pleased to announce the Third Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) which will take place on 3-5 August 2010 in the city of Quito, Ecuador.