Nairobi, Kenya / London, UK, 7 September 2011

(by Workshop123 Organisers)

Workshop 123 Organisers invite you to participate in deliberations about the opening up and re-use of government data from the perspective of developing international policy.

Workshop 123 is part of the 6th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), an international forum mandated by the United Nations to focus on Internet governance, which takes place in Nairobi, Kenya (27 to 30 September 2011). The overall focus of the upcoming 6th IGF meeting is the 'Internet as a catalyst for change: access, development, freedoms & innovation'.

The formal name given to Workshop 123 is: ‘Public Sector Information online: towards a Global policy framework’. It takes place on the 30th September 2011, 09:00 to 10:30 am local time. Participation is possible in person or online. In order to convert Nairobi local time into your time zone, you can visit this website.

The Workshop 123 format will include short presentations by panel members on pre-set questions followed by discussion and debate. Workshop participants will include public sector information stakeholders from around the globe with interests in open government data policy from a range of perspectives.

The Workshop organisers aptly describe the relevance of making available public sector information (or government produced data) for re-use to Internet governance in the following excerpt from the Workshop background paper.

“Many of the components that underpin the Internet are common with those of a public sector information policy framework, for example, access, transparency, privacy to name but a few. Indeed UN Member States policies and regulation related to the Internet form part of the overall public sector information content. By opening up the information produced and held by public sector organisations via the Internet provides a rich content that is valuable to Civil Society from the local, through to the national and global levels in the local languages.”

The Context of Developing International Open Government Data Policy

Workshop 123 Organisers comment that there is growing awareness globally that making better use of government data brings advantages to both the public sector and civil society and note the following.

“Sector Information policy has been evolving for over 25 years first within UN Member States and then within world economic groupings or regions such as the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). By the time the IGF6 is held in Nairobi in September 2011 it is anticipated that over 50 UN Member States around the world will have adopted and/or are actively engaged in implementing public sector information policy framework’s either in full or in part that were first evolved in the mid 1980’s.”

What are your Questions and Experiences for Discussion at Workshop 123?

If you would like to participate in the Workshop 123 panel or would like to contribute your input (questions / experiences / ideas) in advance of the event, contact Workshop 123 panel chair by email corbinceh@ntlworld.com or via Twitter @MGPSI

What questions would you ask? How do you think international open government data policy could advance? Is it realistic or possible to develop international open government data policies which fit across nations and regions as well as work internationally and at a local level?

Here are the main questions that Workshop 123 organisers and the panel are considering.

Question 1: Is there a need for a global policy on public sector information - open government data similar to that adopted by the OECD and the European Union that have been adopted by approximately 50+ United Nations Member States?

Question 2: If the conclusion to Question 1 is YES then: How do you visualise such a global policy could be prepared and adopted by the United Nations and or other world regional bodies?

If the conclusion to Question 1 is NO then: What do you believe needs to occur that will act as a catalyst that would lead to a belief that there should be a global policy on Open Government Data?

Question 3: How would you rank the key points that should be within such a global policy that would assist countries that currently do not have an open government data policy in order to commence adoption?

Twitter and Facebook

• Workshop 123 (Public Sector Information online: towards a Global policy framework) on Twitter @MGPSI
• #IGF6 2011 (Internet Governance Forum) 'Internet as a catalyst for change’ on Twitter @intgovforum
• #IGF6 2011 (Internet Governance Forum) 'Internet as a catalyst for change’ on Facebook

Related News and Documentation

• IGF 2011: Internet as a Catalyst for Change

• Public Sector Information Online: Towards a Global Policy Framework (Workshop 123 at the Internet Governance Forum 2011)

• Report on ‘Public sector information online: democratic, social and economic potentials’ Workshop 120 at the Internet Governance Forum 2010