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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">Connecting
the Dots: Options for Future Action</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">UNESCO
headquarters, Paris, France.<br>
Closing Remarks by Nnenna Nwakanma</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">Africa
Regional Coordinator</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">The World
Wide Web Foundation.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">March 4,
2015</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">Deputy
Director General<br>
Friends and colleagues<br>
Onsite and online</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">My name is
Nnenna.<span> </span>I<span> </span>come from the Internet. And I have been asked
to say a few words to us, as a member of the civil society, before we leave. I
coordinate the activities of the World Wide Web Foundation in my continent,
Africa. The Web Foundation is<span> </span>that organization
that believes that the Internet is for everyone.<span> </span>Therefore we work on affordable access to
all, we work on opening up data for participation and <span> </span>we support<span>
</span>the global Web We Want Coalition.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">I have three
things to say.<span> </span>The first is on the
UNESCO study itself.<span> </span>The second is on
one of the issues raised.<span> </span>The third
is<span> </span>on where we go from here.<br>
<br>
>From the Civil Society end, we recognize that UNESCO’s consultation towards the
study was open, online, multistakeholder and tried to be as inclusive as could
be. This for me, lends trust. Trust in the organization, trust in its capacity
to bring key actors to the table. The </span><span style="line-height:107%;background:none repeat scroll 0% 0% white">R-O-A-M principles of the study (Rights based, Open,
Accessible, Multistakeholder participation</span>) are not just important for
the study, but they also are key in implementing its recommendations.<span> </span>So<span> </span>it
is only natural that we engage as civil society, during, now and going forward.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><br></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%;background:none repeat scroll 0% 0% white">Do we endorse the
outcome<span> </span>document? I do.<span> </span>But the Civil Society is too large a
constituency for just one person to say yes on behalf of all others.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%;background:none repeat scroll 0% 0% white"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%;background:none repeat scroll 0% 0% white">On the issues, I will
settle for one. Just one. Access.<span> </span>Just
today, the Alliance for Affordable Internet launched the Affordability report. </span><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">Affordability
Report shows that Over 2 billion people living in poverty cannot access the
Internet affordably and that a fixed broadband connection costs on average 40%
of monthly income across 51 developing countries. <br></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><br></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">And we are working <span> </span>towards access for everyone.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">To UNESCO,<span> </span>I
must say, that the Global Internet is of global importance and we must<span> </span>seek at all times, to manage it for global
interest, global benefit and global utility. <span> </span>So,<span>
</span>many thanks for putting Internet Governance <span> </span>and the IGF in the heart of the process.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="" style><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><span>-<span style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-variant:normal"> -
</span></span></span><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><span></span>In working for<span>
</span>access to knowledge and information, </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="" style><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><span>-<span style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-variant:normal"> -
</span></span></span><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">in working<span> </span>for freedom of expression</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="" style><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><span>-<span style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-variant:normal"> -
</span></span></span><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">in working for privacy</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="" style><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><span>-<span style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;font-variant:normal"> -
</span></span></span><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">in working for ethics</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">We are not<span>
</span>just connecting dots. We are connecting people. We are connecting
cultures, we are extending science by connecting knowledge to knowledge, <span> </span>men and women, we are connecting
continents.<span> </span>We are righting the wrongs
of the past, <span> </span>consolidating the present
and <span> </span>building a viable future.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB"><br></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%" lang="EN-GB">We have a heritage.<span>
</span>A global heritage. <span> </span>The Internet.</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">The Internet
represents a masterpiece of human creative genius</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">It is<span> </span>the most important <span> </span>tool of interchange of human values</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">And an
exceptional testimony to our common civilization</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">These are
the basis on which UNESCO<span> </span>selects sites
as heritage. And here, we have more than a heritage. The Internet is our global
heritage</span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"> </span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%">Ladies and
gentlemen, friends here and online.<span>
</span>Tomorrow is my birthday. And my sister told me to make a wish.<span> </span><span> </span>I
asked if I should keep my eyes open or closed and she said “any way”.<span> </span>So I will close an eye and keep one open, for
security purposes.<span> </span>And here is my wish..</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><span style="line-height:107%"><br></span></font></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font>
</font></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><font><i><u><span style="line-height:107%">That the open Internet, the open web,
will be established as global public good and a basic right of all men and
women, all humans and that everyone can access it can use it <span> </span>freely.</span></u></i></font></span></p>
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