The Asia Pacific Youth Internet Governance Forum 2024 (yIGF 2024) concluded on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the NTUH International Convention Center in Taipei City, Taiwan. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the local host of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) 2024, the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), the APrIGF Secretariat, and our supporting organization: NetMission.Asia and DotAsia Organisation, for their unwavering support.
Moving forward from the “Frontier” of last year, this year’s yIGF theme focuses on “Connecting Generations: Forging a Responsible Digital Future through Collaboration and Policy Innovation”, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational cooperation in an era marked by rapid technological advancements. Throughout this entire event, we yielded numerous key takeaways from different sessions organized during this one-day event such as panel discussions, Meetup with Industry Experts, APAC Youth Leaders Dialogue, and IGF Youth Track. Notably, our participants took the initiative to draft the Youth Policy Statement, underscoring our commitment to tangible outcomes in this journey to shape a better Internet, guided by design, not by chance.
This year's yIGF saw remarkable engagement, with almost 190 registrations from 25+ economies. Even though it was a one-day event, there were 160 actively attended, including 60 onsite attendees, 25 attendees, and 59 participants turning remote and from the 4 local hubs in Pakistan and the Philippines respectively. Participants engaged with over 25 industry experts, both in-person and virtually to explore a wide range of topics, including:
- IGF Youth Track: AI and Education–ChatGPT use in schools and AI capacity development
- Panel Discussion: Empowering Access - Democratizing the Internet for All
- APAC Youth Leaders Dialogue: Championing Youth - Rights, Safety, and Well-being
- Meetup with Industry Experts: Securing Truth in the Age of Information Overload
A special note of appreciation to the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) secretariat and the IGF 2024 Youth Track organizing team for entrusting us with the responsibility of leading and hosting the youth track workshop for the global Internet Governance community. This trust empowers us—the youth, stakeholders across generations, and leaders in the APAC region—to stay aligned with the global youth strategy.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support and collaboration from our community partners, local hub partners, and session co-organizers. Their invaluable involvement was instrumental in the success of our event. A special thank you goes out to the Korea Internet & Security Agency, Internet Society, Hong Kong Youth IGF, EngageMedia, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Region IV-A (Philippines), the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecom (Pakistan), Cambodia Youth IGF, Philippine Youth IGF, Youth IGF India, Youth IGF Nepal, Kenneth Leung, and many others for their unwavering support and contributions.
A very special thanks to our yIGF Organizing Committee and Digital Content & Research Committee: Jenna Manhau Fung (Hong Kong), Ankita Rathi (India), Nattaya Kay Jaratruangsaeng (Philippines), Sameer Gahlot (India), Bea Guevarra (Philippines), Luke Rong Guang Teoh (Malaysia), Jose Carmelo Cueto (Philippines), Harisa Shahid (Pakistan), Nimrah Perveen (Pakistan), Qurra Tul Ain Nisar (Pakistan), Socheata Sokhachan (Cambodia), Aviral Kaintura (India), Lam Nha Truc (Vietnam), Jenie Benedetta Fernando (Sri Lanka), Ho Thi Kim Hang (South Korea/Vietnam), Nawal Munir Ahmad (Pakistan), Maryam Khalid (Pakistan), Md Ashikur Rahman (Bangladesh), and Khushbakht (Pakistan).
Your dedication and hard work were crucial in making this event a productive and impactful one.
Together, we've achieved something truly meaningful—a space where young voices from across the region can come together to shape the future of the Internet. Thank you all for making this vision a reality!
