Proposal

APrIGF 2022 Session Proposal Submission Form
Part 1 - Lead Organizer
Contact Person
Mr. Matthew Nguyen
Email
Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) *
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Designation
Digital Governance and Rights Lead
Gender
Male
Economy of Residence
Singapore
Primary Stakeholder Group
Civil Society
Part 2 - Session Proposal
Session Title
The missing piece to the 'Future of the Internet' - what should Asia's role be?
Session Format
Roundtable
Where do you plan to organize your session?
Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants)
Specific Issues for Discussion
The White House has just launched their Declaration for the 'Future of the Internet' and conspicuously missing are key players within the Asia-Pacific region. This follows on from similar missteps in the lead up to Biden's Summit for Democracy. As the arena for geopolitical competition and posturing increasingly moves into the technology sector - what do meaningful international alliances in international technology policy actually look like?

This roundtable will bring together key tech and geopolitics experts across the region to unpack how these normative 'commitments' to internet governance involve, contextualise and engage with partners in the region more. Topics to cover include
- technology standards development
- technology supply chains
- international internet governance engagement
- south-south collaboration

This follows on from reports we have written such as;
- The Open Internet Report
- Building a Tech-Forward Foreign Policy
- Disrupters and Defenders: What the Ukraine War Has Taught Us About the Power of Global Tech Companies
Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF
The geopolitics of internet governance is a growing issue and all countries (at every stage of digital development) should have a space within the conversation. How this plays out in practice is at a watershed moment - particularly in Asia. With the head of our organisation being an ex-UK Prime Minister, but with a growing presence in Asia - these conversations are a priority for us. The role of international norms in internet governance, and especially Asia's role in the debate is key to this. The outcome of this session is to land on pragmatic policy solutions on how international collaborations within the international governance space can better balance regional perspectives.
Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right)
Time frame (e.g. 5 minutes, 20 minutes, should add up to 60 minutes) Description
10 Introductions
20 Facilitated Roundtable
30 Q+A
Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible)
  • Moderator (Primary)

    • Name: Matthew Nguyen
    • Organization: Tony Blair Organisation
    • Designation: Digital Governance and Rights Lead
    • Gender: M
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Singapore
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
  • Moderator (Back-up)

    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
  • Speaker 1

    • Name: Elina Noor
    • Organization: Asia Society Policy Institute
    • Designation: Director, Political-Security Affairs
    • Gender: F
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Malaysia / USA
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
  • Speaker 2

    • Name: Johanna Weaver
    • Organization: Tech Policy Design Centre
    • Designation: Director
    • Gender: F
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Australia
    • Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
  • Speaker 3

    • Name: Karthik Nachiappan
    • Organization: NUS
    • Designation: Research Fellow
    • Gender: M
    • Economy / Country of Residence: Singapore
    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
  • Speaker 4

    • Stakeholder Group: Academia
    • Expected Presence: In-person
    • Status of Confirmation: Proposed
Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session.
All participants are leaders in both tech policy and international relations, all of whom I have strong working relationships with.

Elina is leading the tech policy work at ASPI with a specific Asian focus.
Johanna helped set the Australian Cyber Ambassador at DFAT before starting a new Australian think tank.
Karthik focusses on tech policy in South Asia.
If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for.
NA
Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2022.
No
Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2022?
Yes
Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers)
    Consent
    I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2022.