Kathmandu: The Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) Nepal 2024, organized by the Computer Association of Nepal Federation (CAN Federation), concluded with great success. Held on August 30-31 at Hotel Le Himalaya in Kathmandu, this capacity-building workshop provided comprehensive insights into internet governance, ICANN policy, and multi-stakeholder models to undergraduate and graduate students as well as young professionals.
This workshop, held for the first time in Nepal, was the local version of the global APIGA program, conducted by ICANN and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). The event featured various interactive sessions, including seminars, roundtable discussions, simulation games, and a mock ICANN conference focused on internet governance.
In the opening session, CAN Federation President Ranajit Kumar Podar highlighted the federation’s role in raising youth awareness and emphasized the importance of such programs in providing vital training to the future leaders of digital policy.
Former Education, Science, and Technology Minister and Member of Parliament, Sumana Shrestha, the chief guest, discussed the importance of youth participation in policymaking, sharing her experiences from the IGF Kyoto and how these could be applied in Nepal.
Keynote speaker, Dipesh Bista, CEO and Member-Secretary of the E-Governance Commission, stressed the need for coordination between government processes and digitalization, emphasizing the effective implementation of a single data exchange platform.
UNESCO Program Manager Bhanu Neupane, participating online, highlighted the role of all stakeholders in making the internet more open and accessible.
The workshop’s second session, led by Shrideep Rayamajhi, introduced participants to the fundamentals of internet governance, while Diksha Raut shared her experiences, encouraging youth to actively participate in such forums. Later, a session on the introduction to ICANN was conducted by ICANN representative Yash Agarwal, who provided detailed insights into ICANN’s role, organizational structure, and policymaking processes.
The third session featured a presentation by Divya Khatri on the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), with APNIC fellows Karishma Parajuli and Ishara Dhakal sharing their experiences. APIGA Nepal Team Leader Vivek Silwal and Program Coordinator Udeep Baral also discussed their journey with ICANN and how young people can get involved.
A panel discussion on ‘Internet Governance in the Nepalese Context’ was moderated by Vivek S. Rana, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Practice Lead. Panelists included Sunaina Pandey, CEO of General Technology Pvt. Ltd.; Hempal Shrestha, Chairman of CAN Federation’s Research and Development Committee; Ramkrishna Pariyar, Vice President of Subisu Cable Net and ICANN SSR2 Review Member; and Pramod Poudel, Campus Chief of Softwarica College of IT. The discussion focused on the practice and state of internet governance in Nepal.
In the closing ceremony, Aruna Joshi, Program Coordinator of Youth Innovation Lab, emphasized the importance of youth involvement in digitalization and the future path for Nepalese youth.
