At this year’s WSIS Forum, Access Partnership’s Policy Manager, Anja Jeanette Haga Engen, moderated High-Level Policy Session 2 entitled “Enabling Environment” – addressing WSIS Action Line 6. The panellists, which included policymakers and representatives from international organisations, agreed that a multi-stakeholder approach to policy and regulatory development is crucial to create an enabling environment on national, regional, and international levels. The approach should strike a balance between promoting innovation and protecting consumer rights and interests.
The session identified several key actions to create an enabling environment, including promoting competition and facilitating market entry to drive innovation and encourage the growth of digital businesses. It also emphasised the importance of considering spectrum as a major enabler for the growth of the digital economy. Additionally, an open, safe, inclusive, and affordable internet is crucial to ensure that everyone has access to the opportunities and benefits of digital transformation.
Thank you to the panelists for your excellent contributions to this session.
Panel:
- H.E. Mr. Jama Hassan Khalif, Minister of Communications and Technology, Somalia
- Stephan A. Lang, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, United States of America
- Mercedes Aramendía, President of the Uruguayan Regulatory Unit of Communication Services (URSEC), Uruguay
- Gift Kallisto Machengete, Director General, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Zimbabwe
- Ekaterine Imedadze, Commissioner, National Communications Commission, Georgia
- Thomas Coughlin, 2023 IEEE President Elect, IEEE
- Andrew Wilson, Global Policy Director, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Sally Wentworth, Managing Director, Internet Society (ISOC)
