BC Trip Proposal 1

Background

BC Outreach initiatives are primarily focused on developing countries, as established by the BC Outreach Strategy. Activities to date have included engagement in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With the addition of TechNation as a BC member, the opportunity to do outreach that can reach the business community in Asia-Pacific (AP), but more specifically in CASA (Central Asia and South Asia), has emerged.  It is useful to understand which countries are considered to be in the CASA region, and that WITSA has over 80 member ICT associations. The  World Congress on IT (WCIT) provides a unique opportunity for the BC to reach out to, and recruit a selected and pre identified group of ICT associations to further the diversity of the BC’s membership. See Appendix A for a map of CASA and also a list of WITSA member ICT associations. 

When: 

The World Congress on IT [WCIT] will be held From February 18-21, the 22nd World Congress on IT (WCIT) will be held in Hyderabad, India, bringing together over 2,500 visionaries, captains of industry, government leaders and academics from over 80 countries. 

Why:

This is a request to receive CROP funding for Omar Mansoor Ansari, member of the BC Outreach Committee to attend the WITSA WCIT. Recruitment activities will include a presentation to the WITSA Board and broader distribution of BC materials, and bilateral discussions with selected ICT associations leadership for recruitment to the BC membership, focused on the next four ICANN meetings, so that the senior leadership program of the BC and the ICANN fellowship application process can continue development of recruitment of senior leaders to the BC.  Omar has a long-standing relationship with the WITSA leadership as a Board member and will be able to build on existing contacts with the WITSA Board. 

Introduction

In line with its FY18 Outreach Strategy, the BC is seeking to encourage the expansion of awareness and membership recruitment from the Asian countries, especially from the developing world. The World Congress on IT (WCIT) 2018 provides a unique opportunity for the BC to create awareness about its work, engage with actors in the region, and identify and recruit senior ICT association leaders as members. 

WCIT 2018 will commence with key themes of interest to the BC: 1) Bracing for Impact- big shift/ discontinuities impacting the business environment; 2) Digital the Core- embracing digital in the heart of business; 3) Firm of the Future- traits, attributes of a firm that will thrive in the future; 4) Emerging Imperatives- evolving threats/ challenges and required guardrails; 5) Collaborate to Disrupt- disrupt boundaries across countries and businesses. 

WCIT 2018 is a not multi-stakeholder in its nature, as it is a business focused conference, drawing primarily business leaders, and invited government leaders. WCIT is a flagship event of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA); it was held annually held since 1978 until 2016, when it became an annual event. It is a premier international ICT forum, with speakers in the past, such as former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, CEO, Microsoft.  WITSA has joined with business in the past in participation at NETMundial; has in the past been a member of the BC [a key goal is to re-recruit WITSA as a BC member].  

In 2018, its World Congress will also be held in conjunction with India’s NASSCOM ILF, which will broaden and deepen the participation from Indian businesses, which will provide another opportunity for the BC to engage in outreach.  As two associations based in India that are members of the ISPCP@ICANN and have existing relationships with Marilyn Cade, Cade has agreed to use her contacts with said associations and with ICANN Vice President for the Region, to explore collaboration on site. This outreach is underway. 

TechNation’s President, Omar Mansoor Ansari, BC member, who also serves as the Board Member of WITSA , and will be the key organizer and speaker to the WITSA Board for the BC Outreach at the World Congress on IT, as well as any other relevant sessions.  He will engage in bilateral discussions to explain BC engagement.   

Proposed event 

Proposed: Omar Ansari, as TechNation member of the BC proposes a BC Outreach Program at the WCIT 2018 to be organized in the following format: 

1. Speaking role at the WITSA Board meeting: to explain why WITSA and individual ICT associations should join the BC.
2. Distribution of an updated two page fact sheet, specially developed for WCIT, with input from the Outreach Committee and designed for this event. [all meetings at WCIT take place in English as the working language of business, so translation is not needed but may be useful for the broader distribution; ICANN staff from the region are advising]. 
3. Bilateral engagement with selected invited guests from the industry, and key influential people from the host country and others,  for bilateral engagement and informal discussions. Goal: meet with 15-20 such leaders over breakfasts, dinners with small groups.
4. Promotional activities- print material, such as referenced BC fact sheet specific to WCIT, additional flyers, copies of BC newsletters, will be distributed.
5. WCIT will be hosted by the Government of Telangana in Hyderabad. Hyderabad is the hub for the technology and services sectors in India and offers world class infrastructure, skilled talent, and the WCIT will draw the participation and presence of numerous global and Indian MNCs and several ministries of Indian government, as well as selected invited attendees from adjourning countries. 

Event Agenda: WITSA Board Meeting  - Introducing the BC@ICANN and why WITSA and ICT associations should become engaged as BC members

• Welcome/ introductory remarks will be provided by Omar Mansoor Ansari, and possibly another senior BC member attending the Congress [yet to be determined and based on availability of funding]. 
• Presentation from Omar Mansoor Ansari to fellow Board Members regarding why ICANN and Internet Governance issues are relevant to WITSA.  The events will be focusing on linking engagement of ICANN BC in IG ecosystem issues and IG activities affecting ICANN, and inviting business leaders and through them, their members from business entrepreneurs from various regions and industries to follow ICANN’s BC activities, and consider joining the BC. 
• Targeted activities are described below:  [Note: this is a targeted recruitment event, with awareness a broader contribution but not the primary purpose]. 

The Senior Leadership program will be described, but without commitment, as this requires nomination and approval by the full Outreach Committee and is based on geo location of the ICANN meetings In addition, the process to apply as an ICANN fellow will also be highlighted, as many first time attendees will benefit from the coaching approach of the ICANN Fellowship program. This will also contribute to making the ICANN Fellowship program of more relevance to the BC’s interests. A very realistic approach will be presented, as it is very challenging to achieve fellowship sponsorship. 

Following activities will be carried out that will result in increased visibility of BC and engagement with the industry plans in the Asia Pacific region and other regions in general: 

1. Sole sponsorship of participation in the WCIT event by the BC@ICANN
2. Preparation of a special two-page fact sheet with content specific to WCIT/WITSA[WCIT takes place in English, due to the focus on business executives]. 
3. Promotion of the call to engagement from business in the AP/CASA, but also from other regions, with a focus on BC leadership program for the next 4 ICANN meetings [see appendix B].
4. In addition, encourage 3-4 applicants nominated from business leaders in WITSA to the ICANN fellowship program, to help to build the benefit of the fellowship program for business leaders.
5. TechNation’s Omar Mansoor Ansari will speak during the WITSA Board meeting about the BC’s leadership initiative, and also the fellowship program, supported by materials, and [to be determined: ICANN staff on site/under development by Marilyn and Omar].
6. WITSA’s WCIT Board meeting is well suited to engage with senior executives from the ICT sector. 
7. Specific re recruitment of WITSA itself as a BC member is a key goal, as well as 4-5 ICT executives from other countries. 

Benefits to BC/ICANN

1. Awareness creation through recognition on the event website, advert materials that promote the BC@ICANN. The testimonial BC member [Omar] present and engaging with fellow ICT executives during the WITSA Board meeting will  provide important enlightenment on the crucial role of business users of the Internet in the overall stability, reliability and resiliency of ICANN, and especially post IANA transition. 
2. A key goal is to re recruit WITSA as a member and recruit 3-4 other ICT leaders who head ICT associations to participate in the BC Leadership program, and commit to join the BC. 
3. Addressing volunteer burnout. One way of addressing the volunteer burn-out phenomenon is bringing fresh minds into the constituency hence focus on reaching such potential members to be part of a BC event and starting two to three business ICT leaders on the path to BC membership.
4. Diversity. The issue of membership diversity is important for the BC to continually broaden and enhance engagement from businesses from different regions. This outreach event will foster diversity within BC  with new members from AP and CASA to help to contribute to the diversity of the BC, but also illustrate that geo diversity and gender are valid priorities. 

Summary

The BC FY18 Outreach Strategy would be well served with this Outreach event in conjunction with the WITSA organized WCIT, which will also have visibility in the full Asia-Pacific and Central Asia/ South Asia communities, as speakers will be promoted with both entities. The objectives of evolving and further globalization of the BC@ ICANN and promotion of ICANN’s role as part of the Internet Governance community as a positive force, while also helping to support the development of understanding and supporting the multistakeholder approach. 

New challenges are emerging to the role of the private sector perspectives as cyber security, fake news, and other initiatives, including the recent announcement by China, which will potentially direct attention to the idea that the UN organizations [present or future] should assume some or all of ICANN’s coordinating roles. AP and CASA will benefit from this opportunity to advance its understanding of multi stakeholder engagement in both ICANN and maintaining this approach across the other UN meetings and interactions.  

At present, discussions are also underway with ICANN regarding their plans for WCIT and how the BC may contribute and collaborate. 

Discussions are underway with ICANN to see if a session  is planned by ICANN to discuss ICANN and its mission and activities, and to further support the commitment of the Asian governments to attend and participate in the Government Advisory Committee (GAC), and to maintain a positive relationship with the BC members who are developing these relationships. The BC sponsorship is targeted to reach the businesses from ICT sector to gain new members for the BC.