Five Key Tech Policy Meetings of 2024

The Internet governance dance card gets fuller every year as each stakeholder group adds its own meetings on various issues to the mix.

For the Interledger community in particular, staying abreast of these meetings is crucial, as decisions made in these political and technical forums can influence protocols, standards, and policies that affect the viability of cross-ledger transactions, interoperability, and the security and resilience of the global Internet.

Here’s a curated list of five pivotal meetings being held in 2024, each with potential implications for the future of seamless payments and the broader Interledger ecosystem.

NetMundial+10
When: April 29-30
Where: São Paulo, Brazil

NetMundial+10, spearheaded by the Brazilian government and various democratic partners, is a follow-up to the original NetMundial meeting held in 2014 that forged a new consensus on how the digital world’s evolving challenges should be addressed. This year, the conference seeks to “collectively build a common structured priority issues agenda to the global community,” and digital inequality is almost certainly going to be one of the themes. For the Interledger community, engaging in NetMundial offers a strategic platform to influence and interact with multi-stakeholders, ensuring that the principles of open and interoperable digital financial inclusion are a part of the global governance dialogue.

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)
When: May 27-31
Where: Geneva, Switzerland

This year marks two decades since the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society established a blueprint for global digital collaboration, aimed at fostering inclusive, development-driven information societies. This High Level Event convened by the United Nations in Geneva will review 20 years of progress and set future directions for digital cooperation and sustainable development. For the Interledger community, participating in WSIS+20 is an opportunity to contribute to and shape the ongoing global discourse on digital inclusivity and interoperability, aligning with broader efforts to leverage technology for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Summit of the Future
When: September 22-23
Where: New York City, USA

The Global Digital Compact, set to be negotiated immediately before the Summit for the Future, represents a concerted effort to harmonize global digital policies and principles, focusing on connectivity, digital inclusion, and the governance of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. This initiative may be interesting for the Interledger community as it promises to shape the digital landscape in ways that could directly influence interoperability, standards, and the broader technical framework within which cross-ledger transactions operate. There is some focus on decolonization and gender issues as well, which might be an opening for digital financial inclusion. Engaging with the Global Digital Compact process offers a strategic avenue to advocate for open, inclusive digital financial systems and to ensure that the future digital governance framework supports the seamless integration of diverse payment systems.

ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA)
When: October 15-24
Where: New Delhi, India

WTSA is convened by the International Telecommunication Union to define the strategic direction and work program for the development of international telecom standards. This assembly plays a crucial role in shaping the technical standards that underpin global telecommunications and information exchange. For the Interledger community, participation in the WTSA could be interesting to advocate for and contribute to the development of standards that facilitate seamless cross-ledger communications and interoperability, ensuring that the evolving global telecom landscape supports robust, efficient digital payment ecosystems. But, engagement here is not simple or particularly open to new stakeholders, so you might choose to prioritize engaging in other fora over this one.

United Nations Internet Governance Forum
When: December 15-19
Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a pivotal global platform for inclusive, multistakeholder discussions on public policy and governance issues pertinent to the Internet. Now in its 19th edition, the IGF facilitates dialogue across diverse sectors to address critical aspects of Internet governance. For the Interledger community, engaging with the IGF is essential to influence and stay informed on policy developments that affect Internet interoperability, standards, and the regulatory environment impacting cross-ledger transactions and digital financial integration. I will be actively sharing updates throughout the year on in this community forum on how you can get engaged in the IGF!

I’ll continue to share updates on this forum of key opportunities for the Interledger community to feed into global tech policy processes.