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Digital Affairs – Chancellery
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Minister of Digital Affairs in Berlin: We need to work together to regulate Internet security

25.11.2019

The 14th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has started. Over the course of the next five days, several thousand participants will discuss key issues related to the World Wide Web, including its legal, political, social and technical aspects. The conference in Berlin is also attended by the head of the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs.

Minister Marek Zagórski sits in an armchair during a discussion panel. Other participants are sitting next to it. In the background two screens, one with the transcription of the speech, the other with the image from the camera - a close-up of the speaker.

Minister Zagórski’s visit to Berlin started with a meeting with the German Minister of Economy Peter Altmaier, which was devoted to the issues of security surrounding the introduction of the 5G networks. Poland and Germany are working out a common position.

The direction of Internet development

On Monday (25 November), the Minister of Digital Affairs took part in the so-called “day zero,” which preceded the official opening ceremony of the IGF. The conference is held under the auspices of the United Nations.

In the morning, the ministers responsible for digital affairs and digitisation from all around the world met during a working breakfast, which was devoted to the future of the Internet.

“The Internet is a global resource that we all use on a daily basis, which is why it needs to be governed in a transparent, responsible and joint manner by the international community,” said Minister Zagórski. “Although the Internet was not governed by any rules at the beginning, we now have to work together to develop regulations that guarantee security, both for countries and for individual users. This is a challenge that we are facing right now,” he added.

Cybersecurity first

The Polish Minister of Digital Affairs also took part in a panel discussion on security and protection of Internet users' rights, during which he spoke about Polish experiences in this area. During his speech, he highlighted actions aimed at ensuring the safety of children and young people. This includes the “Do not lose your child on-line” campaign.

Bilateral conversations

On the sidelines of the Forum, the Minister met Liu Zhenmin, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and their meeting concerned the next year's Forum, which will be held in Poland.

“We want to show that Poland is an open country, which is not afraid to take up difficult issues and participate in the process of shaping the digital future,” Minister Zagórski said.

The next item on that day’s agenda was a meeting with Goran Marby, head of ICANN, the institution currently responsible for the allocation of Internet domain names, their structure and general supervision of DNS servers worldwide. the main theme of their conversation was the distribution of these domains and the challenges posed by 5G networks.

Minister Marek Zagórski’s visit to the conference ended with a conversation with Vinton Gray Cerf, Vice President of Google and co-founder of the Internet. The Minister invited Cerf to Poland.

“It is a great honour to meet one of the fathers of the Internet and talk about the vision and direction of development of the IGF initiative, on the 50th anniversary of its creation. It is a great honour that the anniversary 15th edition will take place next year in Poland,” said the Minister.

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