The Internet Governance Forum (IGF),

convened by the United Nations Secretary-General,

is the global multistakeholder forum

for dialogue on Internet governance issues.

 

The IGF meets every year and is hosted by different countries. The typical attendance is about 10k. Throughout the year, the IGF engages in intersessional work called Dynamic Coalitions.

The GBA hosts the Blockchain Assurance & Standardization Dynamic Coalition (BAS-DC) that was established to connect, communicate, and collaborate with government leaders and stakeholders to use blockchain technology to improve public services.

The group:

  • Meets each month to gather best practice and resources that can be used to support pubic sector adoption of blockchain technology.
  • Pilots blockchain solutions to demonstrate the value of the technology in addressing public sector mandates & challenges.
  • Manages the programming and hosting of physical/virtual blockchain related content at the annual IGF meeting.

The centerpiece of the DC-BAS is the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM)

The BMM is a framework to evaluate the trustworthiness of blockchain solutions. It is a comprehensive and detailed structure that provides a roadmap to solution developers while providing confidence to investors, customers, and acquisition officials in blockchain solutions.  Solutions that have been assessed by BMM Assessment Partners are publicly posted on a directory of “Trusted Blockchain Solutions” that is showcased by the United Nations IGF BAS-DC. In addition to the BMM,

The United Nations IGF BAS-DC informs and guides BMM development and maintenance.

2024 Activities

Decentralized Autonomous Organization DAO Pilot Project

The Dynamic Coalition is piloting a Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of using blockchain technology to establish and manage DAO in the public sector, starting with a pilot project for the UN-IGF-BAS DC and gradually expanding to include other UN-IGF-DC members, and the UN IGF.

The scope of this project is limited to the establishment of a UN-IGF-BAS DC DAO. A follow-on project will be initiated upon successful completion of this phase to further expand and promote the adoption of DAO technology.

2024 UN Internet Governance Forum

The GBA is planning to send members to the UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 15-19 December 2024. For more information visit the Internet Governance Forum 2024 Page. The Dynamic Coalition will conduct several workshops and presentations for the 2024 Internet Governance Forum meeting. We will also plan on hosting a physical and virtual booth at the 2024 event.

Registration

For those who are planning to attend in person or on-line, please register at: https://indico.un.org/event/1012522

Visa & Travel Information

Dedicated web site of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2024 IGF, with complete details about visa, accommodations, etc.:https://igfriyadh2024.sa

Educating the Public Sector about Blockchain

One of the take-aways from the 2023 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Meeting in Japan highlighted the need for education and training about blockchain for the public sector. This is being discussed as a project for 2024.

Drafting the Annual Plan

The Dynamic Coalition is preparing the plan to be submitted to the UN  IGF by end of the first quarter.