Why does Nominet run an Internet Awards competition?

• To promote and develop industry best practice
• To learn from others and share our knowledge to help shape the future of the Internet
• To reward UK organisations or individuals who work to ensure the Internet offers a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all
• To recognise UK creativity and innovation in the use of the Internet and showcase these to the international community in the United Nations Internet Governance Forum

About the IGF

The 2010 IGF meeting will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania. You can find more information on the IGF on their website: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/.

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a discussion group that was set up by the United Nations to provide a forum for Internet stakeholders to discuss Internet policy and governance issues. Discussions are centred on four key themes:

Security – Identified as the most important IGF theme for UK stakeholders. The UK is at the forefront of developing solutions to security threats and in building trust and confidence in the online environment.

Access – Sometimes perceived as a developing country issue, the digital
divide is also seen in the UK, affecting rural communities, the disabled, the
elderly and the socially disadvantaged as highlighted in the recent Digital Britain
report and the work of Martha Lane Fox, the Government’s Digital Inclusion Champion.

Diversity – Expressions of cultural diversity and identity, including
multilingual and local language content are necessary to bring all people into the internet.

Openness – The Internet had greatly contributed to the free flow of information and access to information and knowledge and in bringing the people closer to those who would govern them.

About the UK IGF

The UK has its own Internet Governance Forum to discuss issues specific to the UK and to help develop UK messages to feed into the International discussion. You can find more information and details of forthcoming events on the UK IGF website: http://www.ukigf.org.uk/.