Nigel Cassimire, the Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and Coordinator of the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), joins us once again to provide an update on the Internet Governance space and the 21st staging of the CIGF, which will be held from 20—22 August 2024 in Varadero, Cuba.  During our conversation, we discussed: how Internet Governance and the conversations on IG have been evolving; the most prominent or topical issues in the IG space currently; the likely focus areas of the upcoming CIGF; and whether there are any specific issues the Caribbean region ought to be focusing on.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

On the face of it, Internet Governance (IG) might seem to be a boring topic, but it is anything but that. It covers a broad range of issues, many of which are complex and merit careful consideration and a multistakeholder response. Furthermore, these issues include not only the technical aspects of operating the internet as well as internet-enabled technologies and services but also matters related to governance and ethics.

This year, 2025, is auspicious in the IG space as it marks the 20th anniversary of the World Summit of the Internet Society (WSIS). It is also a time when, at the United Nations, the state of IG and the WSIS-associated targets are being assessed, with the outcome expected to be publicly available by the end of the year.

However, August is also the time for the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), which will be its 21st stage of the event and will be held in Varadero, Cuba, from 20—22 August. According to the event website, “The Forum will address various facets of Internet Governance of current import to the Caribbean including the adoption of the Global Digital Compact and WSIS+20 Review; enhancing the reach, resiliency and sustainability of critical digital infrastructure in the Caribbean; fostering adoption and growth of our digital economies in a trusted and secure manner; harnessing the benefits of emergent technologies (e.g. AI) while minimising attendant risks; and digital rights, privacy and protection for children.”

 

Introducing our guest

Nigel Cassimire

Nigel Cassimire is the Deputy Secretary General and Head of Regional Policy Development of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). He is also the Coordinator of the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum.

Since July 2005, Nigel has been a Consulting Telecommunications Specialist. He has worked extensively with the CTU Secretariat in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in developing and promoting harmonised Caribbean positions in the areas of spectrum management, internet governance, and ICT policy. He has also successfully conducted consultancies for several of the member governments of the CTU.

Nigel is a Telecommunications Engineer with over thirty years of experience in the technical, operational and executive management of telecommunications systems and services. He has an intimate understanding of a broad range of ICTs and services, with practical experience in network and service planning, operations management and domestic and international telecommunications policy development.

 

Insights into our conversation

In being the CTU’s representative in many of the global IG spaces, Nigel is a fount of knowledge on the subject. He participated in the first WSIS event in 2005, which was the impetus for launching the CIGF, which preceded the UN Internet Governance Forum. He is thus able to track how various issues have evolved over the years, and in this discussion, we picked his brains on how matters such as AI and digital sovereignty are being treated or considered on the global stage.

Further, since we are just days away from the 21st CIGF, we thought it opportune to discuss the agenda and the topics that are likely to be the focus during the three-day event. The CIGF will be jam-packed with sessions covering a broad range of topics, and will also have the 4th Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum (4th CYIGF) running in parallel.

Below are key questions posed to Nigel that drove our conversation.

  1. Since you were on the Podcast in 2024, perhaps let’s start with you giving an overview and update on what has been going on in the IG space.
  2. What are some of the most prominent or topical issues in the IG space currently?
  3. What is the likely focus of the upcoming (21st) CIGF?
  4. Are there any key issues that the region ought to be focusing on?
  5. This is the first time the CIGF is being held in Cuba. Why was that location chosen, and what special arrangements, if any, are being put in place, for example, to address logistics and facilitate wide participation?
  6. Are there any special sessions or activities being planned as part of the CIGF?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise might be useful.

 

 

Images credit: CTU; rawpixel.com (Freepik); CTU; Freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez