Internet Governance Glossary - 7.3 Groups, networks, forums, conferences, projects
UNGIS was created 2006 as an inter-agency mechanism of the United Nations to coordinate substantive and policy issues facing the United Nations’ implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The IGF (established 2006) is a United Nations institution and multi-stakeholder forum dealing with all topics of Internet Governance. The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) is an important coordination body for civil society organizations (CSO) participation in the IGF.
OMG (founded in 1989) is an international, open membership, not-for-profit computer technology standards consortium which through task forces driven by vendors, end-users, academic institutions and government agencies develops enterprise integration standards for a wide range of technologies.
GAID was launched 2006 by the United Nations as a cross-sectoral platform and multi-stakeholder forum that will bring together all stakeholders representing relevant constituencies for providing advocacy and oversight on information society issues and implementing programs addressing the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
Wi-Fi Alliance (founded in 1995) is a global non-profit trade association that promotes Wi-Fi technology and certifies Wi-Fi products, if they conform to certain standards of interoperability.
G3ict was launched 2006 by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as an advocacy initiative to facilitate and support the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies.
WSIS, initiated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/183 and carried out by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), took place in two phases:
- First phase in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003;
- Second phase in Tunis, from 16 to 18 November 2005.
WSIS provides a platform in which multiple stakeholders including international organizations, governments, the private sector and civil society could discuss the opportunities of the new information and communication environment, and also address challenges such as the inequality in access to information and communication that is called the ‘digital divide’. WSIS output consists in a set of outcome documents and also resulted in the creation of Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and UN Group on the Information Society (UNGIS). One major follow-up activity of WSIS is the annual WSIS Forum.
Since 2006 the WSIS Forum has been held in Geneva around World Information Society Day (17 May) to implement the WSIS Follow up. The multi-stakeholder event is organized by the WSIS facilitators including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
WCIT-12 is a treaty-level conference facilitated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Dubai, in 2012, to address the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR) which are covering international rules for telecommunications, including international tariffs.
ISOC chapter (formed 2002) of international scope dedicated to addressing the needs of people with special needs that are related to the Internet and its attendant technologies.