Bangladesh Initiative for Connecting, Empowering & Amplifying Unified Voices on Global Digital Compact & UN Summit for the Future 2024

1. An open, free and secure digital future for all
AHM Bazlur Rahman
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication
(BNNRC)
ceo@bnnrc.net | www.bnnrc.net
+8801711881647
In conjunction with United Nations Internet
Governance Forum
Bangladesh Initiative for Connecting,
Empowering & Amplifying Unified Voices on
Global Digital Compact &
UN Summit for the Future 2024
Make Bangladesh’s Voices Heard at the UN GDC and UN Summit for the Future

2. About BNNRC
• For over two decades Plus, BNNRC is promoting the UN WSIS action line and the UN IGF localization
process in Bangladesh
• BNNRC’s intervention has been successfully aligned with the UN World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) preparatory process since 2000.
• With the numerous advocacy-related efforts of BNNRC & Other, the Bangladesh Government formed the
Bangladesh Working Group on UN WSIS in 2002. Chairman of BTRC played the convenor of the Bangladesh
Working Group on UN WSIS. The government of Bangladesh declared and notified the Bangladesh Working
Group on UN WSIS through Bangladesh Extraordinary Gazette on 02 October 2002.
• The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in two phases in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in
2005
• Recognizing the importance of the BNNRC intervention, BNNRC was recognized by the UN World Summit
on the Information Society for the 7th time as a winner in 2016 and champions.
• Enjoying Consultative Status with ECOSOC, Associated with the Department of Global Communications of
the United Nations! UN Global Compact, SDG Media Compact & Accredited by the UN Open-ended working
group (OEWG) on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies of the United Nations Office
for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) 2001-2025.
•

3. About Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum
• According to the UN Internet Governance Forum(IGF) mandate, BNNRC is a co-founder of the Bangladesh Internet
Governance Forum (BIGF) since 2006 in conjunction with the UN IGF.
• BIGF has been played as a multi-stakeholder national forum for Bangladesh aimed to illuminate issues and create
ideas on internet usage. This domestic independent forum has engaged civil society, organizations, government,
corporate sectors, technical sectors, media and academia to create partnerships, coalitions and dialogues that
demonstrate best practices and help us to move the policy forward.
Bangladesh IGF successfully created platforms like
- Bangladesh Kids IGF
- Bangladesh Youth IGF
- Bangladesh Women IGF
- Bangladesh School of Internet Governance and
- Bangladesh Parliamentarians Caucus on Internet Governance, Digital Economy & Media Development
(BPCIDM).
BIGF has successfully organized the three days Bangladesh Internet Governance Conferences since 2006 in
Bangladesh.

4. The United Nations Secretary-General,
António Guterres, has said that “Looking to
the future, two seismic shifts will shape the
21st century: the climate crisis, and digital
transformation.”
KEY PROPOSAL
Across the 12 commitments
from the Declaration on the
Commemoration of the 75th
anniversary of the United
Nations: September 2020

7. The Common Agenda proposes a
Global Digital Compact to be agreed
upon at the Summit of the Future in
September 2024 through a technology
track involving all stakeholders:
Governments, the United Nations
system, the private sector (including
tech companies), civil society, grass-
roots organizations, academia, and
individuals, including youth.
The Summit of the
Future is to be held
on 22 and 23
September 2024, in
New York, and
preceded by a
preparatory
ministerial meeting
on 18 September 2023

8. Related ongoing UN processes,
initiatives & events
Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on security of
and in the use of information and communications
technologies, UN Office for Disarmament Affairs 1998
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
Forum since (2003 & 2005) 2006
Internet Governance Forum (IGF) since 2006
Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology

9. An open process of consultations is to identify
common ground in terms of principles and
proposed actions relating to the following seven
thematic areas identified in Our Common Agenda
and additional areas that stakeholders advocate
for inclusion in the GDC:
• Connect all people to the internet, including all schools
• Avoid internet fragmentation
• Protect data
• Apply human rights online
• Accountability for discrimination and misleading content
• Regulation of artificial intelligence
• Digital commons as a global public good
• Other areas: this is the opportunity for stakeholders to propose additional
thematic areas, issues, opportunities, and challenges for inclusion within
the scope of the GDC which are not covered in Our Common Agenda.

10. Thematic Deep-Dive:
Informal consultations with Member States and
Stakeholders, January to June 2023
1. Digital inclusion and connectivity
2. Internet Governance
3. Data protection
4. Human Rights online
5. Digital trust and security
6. Artificial Intelligence and other emerging
technologies
7. Global digital commons
8. Accelerating progress on the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
Intergovernmental Process led by the Co-
facilitators Rwanda and Sweden
In October 2022, the President of the UN
General Assembly appointed the Permanent
Representatives of Rwanda & of Sweden as
Co-facilitators to lead the intergovernmental
process on the Global Digital Compact.
On 16 January 2023, the Co-facilitators
shared the road map for the
intergovernmental process.

11. Global Initiative:
The Indian and German governments &
Office of the UN Secretary-General’s
Envoy on Technology: Regional
consultations for Asia, New Delhi, India
on the 21 and 22 March 2023
The Mexico and German Governments
Office of the UN Secretary-General’s
Envoy on Technology: Regional
consultations American region, Mexico on
the 15-16 February 2023
The Kenya and German governments &
Office of the UN Secretary-General’s
Envoy on Technology : Regional
Consultations for the African region,
Nairobi, Kenya 5-6 December 2022

13. Why Engage in the Process:
The GDC is an opportunity for Government & Multi-stakeholder to contribute to establishing
agreed principles for digital governance that support human rights, social justice and
sustainable development and that can form the basis of a longer-term framework for
accountable and inclusive internet governance – and broader digital governance. `
The GDC is also an opportunity to reinterpret the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) vision to respond to the constantly changing digital society that we live in today.
It could also play a key role in ensuring that the lessons learned from years of
multistakeholder cooperation feed into future processes of Internet policy, internet
governance and global digital cooperation and in setting parameters for safeguarding
multistakeholderism, transparency, inclusivity, dialogue and accountability.
Stakeholders, including civil society groups and individuals, can develop inputs based on a
long-term vision for what we want the internet to be, and what we do not want it to be – and
more broadly, for digitalisation and its relationship to sustainable development and
environmental sustainability.
We can work hard to see priorities reflected in the final product by consulting widely, and
deeply, and collaborating extensively, including reaching out to other stakeholder groups.
The GDC has the potential to frame digital debate at the global level in upcoming years, so
it is urgent that the public has a seat at the table and proposes carefully tailored and
targeted recommendations in relation to key policy themes.

14. Bangladesh Initiative for
Connecting, Empowering & Amplifying
Unified Voices on
Global Digital Compact
& UN Summit for the Future 2024
Make Bangladesh’s Voices Heard at the
UN GDC and UN Summit for the Future
In collaboration with:
Aspire to Innovate (a2i) &
ICT Division
Government of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh
In collaboration with:
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory
Commission(BTRC) &
Posts and Telecommunications Division
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

15. First Part: April-June 2023 | Second Part – July 2023 – June 2024
Publication of Our Common Agenda (OCA) in Bangla
For a better understanding of OCA, it will be translated into Bangla 2000
copies will be printed and will be used in different events.
Sectoral Consultation( Deep Dive 05) | Government | Industries |
Media | Youth | CSOs|
05 half-day consultations will be organized in Dhaka. A total of 150
participants are expected to participate.
National Consultations in Dhaka
Day-long Multi-Stakeholders consultation will be organized in Dhaka
where different groups will be engaged in thematic discussion. A total of
75 participants are expected to participate.
Consultation with the Parliamentarians
One Consultation with the parliamentarians will be organized having 30
participants to explore the roles of MPs in the Global Digital Compact and
impart information on Digital Policy issues and processes. Publication of
the Handbook for Parliamentarians
Publication of consultation report
Based on the findings of the multistakeholder workshop and also the
findings of the consultation with MPs, a report will be published.