On Wednesday – Friday 20th – 22nd August 2025, the Ministry of Communications of Cuba (MINCOM) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) present the 21st Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) in Varadero, Cuba. 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 the region’s 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. The 4th Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum(CYIGF) will be included in the 21st CIGF, on the afternoon of Day 1.
09:00 Opening Remarks Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies 09:15 Capacity Building Session 1 – Internet Governance – Current Issues, Status and Outlook Juan Fernández González – Member, UN IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), Advisor at the Ministry of Communications of Cuba (MINCOM) Chengetai Masango – Head of Office, UN IGF Secretariat
10:30 Capacity Building Session 2 – e-Commerce Logistics, Data Governance, Digital Governance Tracy F. Hackshaw – Chef d’entreprise, .POST, Universal Postal Union (UPU) Abdullah Ali and Kevin Baboolal – Researchers (Remote) Prof. Maurice McNaughton – Remote
Moderator: Shanea Lewis – CTU
Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum (CYIGF)
13:30 Introductory Remarks Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
13:35 Welcome Remarks Rodney Taylor – Secretary-General, CTU Tariq Mohammed – 4th CYIGF Chair Jose Carlos Cruz Sandoval – Vice President, GEIC, Cuba
13:45 Panel 1: Development and use of Artificial Intelligence in the Caribbean for Digital Transformation and Innovation Christopher Derrell – Youth Can Do I.T. (YCDI) Shergaun Roserie – Co-CEO, RifBid, Saint Lucia Roberto Marti Cedeño – Vice Dean of Research and Digital Transformation, University of Havana, Cuba Orlando Gabriel Toledano López – Professor of Data Structures and Algorithms, University of Informatics Sciences (UCI), Cuba
Moderator: Ailyn Febles Estrada, Vice Minister of Communications. Cuba
14:30 Panel 2: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Resilience: Protecting the Caribbean’s Digital Future Federica Tortorella – Youth Advisory Board Member, SubOptic Foundation, Dominican Republic Muriyana McPherson – National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Guyana Daniel Perea Núñez – Director General, Computer Network Security Office, Cuba (OSRI)
Moderator: Tariq Mohammed – Chair, Caribbean ICT Youth Network
15:30 Panel 3: Women Empowerment in ICTs Jael Goddard (Remote) – ICT External Relations Associate, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Trinidad and Tobago Jennifer Boodoo – Guyana Maidelys Pupo Torres – General Director, JCCE, Cuba Suany Leyva Hernández – Cuban Network of Empowered Women, UIC Analaisy González Prieto – Director of Institutional Communication, ETECSA
Moderator: Gabrielle Johnson – CIYN Vice Chair
16:15 Panel 4: Youth Perspectives on Global Fora: GDC, WSIS, IGF, etc. Anja Gengo – UN IGF Secretariat, Geneva Shergaun Roserie – CIYN Elaine Grenet Albernas – Specialist on Foreign Relations, MINCOM Leysdel Emil Hernández – Specialist in International Organizations and Bilateral Collaboration, ETECSA
Moderator: Jael Goddard – ICT External Relations Associate, Trinidad and Tobago (Remote)
17:00 Vote of Thanks and Closing of the CYIGF Gabrielle Johnson – CIYN Vice Chair Ailyn Febles Estrada – Vice Minister of Communications of Cuba
17:10 End of Day 1
DAY 2 – THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 2025
09:00 National Anthem and Opening Remarks Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
09:05 Remarks Rodney Taylor – Secretary-General, CTU
09:15 Greetings from Partner Organizations Paula Oteguy – Head, Multistakeholder Engagement, LACNIC Bevil Wooding (Remote) – Director of Caribbean Affairs, ARIN & Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions (CAJS) Albert Daniels (Remote) – Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean, ICANN Sebastián Bellagamba (Remote) – Senior Director, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Internet Society Chengetai Masango – Head of Office, UN IGF Secretariat
09:35 Feature Address Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
09:45 Vote of Thanks Michelle Garcia – Communications Specialist, CTU
10:20 Reflections on CIGF @ 21 Shanea Lewis – Policy Advisor, CTU
10:45 National, Regional and Global IG Contexts Maria Esther Alfonso – Cuba IGF Jacqueline Morris – Trinidad and Tobago MAG Max-Larson Henry – Haiti IGF Marcellus Constance – SVG IGF Aggrey Marsh – Guyana IGF Lilian Chamorro Rojas – Coordinator, LACIGF Anja Gengo – UN IGF Secretariat
14:00 Introductory Remarks Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
14:05 ARIN/LACNIC/CTU Policy Forum – Global Digital Governance at a Crossroads; WSIS+20; Global Digital Compact; ICP-2, ICANN gTLDs Israel Rosas (Remote) – ISOC Bevil Wooding (Remote) – ARIN Paula Oteguy – LACNIC Chengetai Masango / Anja Gengo – UN IGF Secretariat Michael Abejuela (Remote) – ARIN Jorge Villa / Esteban Tescano (Remote) – LACNIC Sybel Alonso Baldor – VP Net Op, ETECSA Albert Daniels (Remote) – ICANN
Moderator: Shanea Lewis – CTU
15:30 Workshop/Facilitated Discussion: Mainstreaming AI in Caribbean Internet Governance Rosanny Arias – Head of Innovation Promotion, Office of ICT, Dominican Republic Omar Correa Madrigal – TBC – President, UIC
Moderators: Tariq Mohammed, Shergaun Roserie, Gabrielle Johnson
DAY 3 – FRIDAY 22 AUGUST 2025
09:00 Opening Remarks Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
09:05 Panel Discussion: Navigating Digital Harms in a Fragmented World Cleveland Thomas – ITU Lourdes Gutierrez (Remote) – UNODC Shannique Bowden (Remote) – Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network Maidelys Pupo Torres – JCCE, Cuba Omar Gutiérrez Granela – Havana Youth Computer and Electronics Club
Facilitator: Shiva Bissessar – Pinaka Consulting
10:00 Special Session: Digital Transformation in Cuba
Introduction: Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
10:20 Panel 1: Data Governance – A Perspective from Cuba Omara Aldama López – Director of Infocommunications, Revolution Palace María Esther Alfonso Suárez – Vice-President, UIC Tatiana Delgado Fernández – Professor, Technological University of Havana Laymi Puente Falcón – Director of Business Intelligence, ETECSA
Moderator: Yarina Amoroso Fernández – Unión de Juristas de Cuba
11:10 Panel 2: Digital Transformation and Local Development Aurora Fernández González – Advisor to CNI and Higher Education Minister Dariel de León García – Senior Researcher, Sustainable Municipalities Program Allan Pierra Conde – Advisor, MES Denys Buedo Hidalgo – Director of Informatization, MES
Moderator: Jorge Núñez Jover – Havana University Advisor
13:30 Panel 3: Enterprises in Digital Transformation Dennis Meriño Menadier – Chairman, Z17 Allan Pierra Fuente – UCI Abduly Díaz García – Director General, SOFTEL Yudivian Almeida Cruz – University of Havana
Moderator: Ernesto Vallín Martínez – MINCOM
14:20 Panel 4: The Role of Government in Digital Transformation Anaisa Hernández González – Vice-President, UIC Dr. Nayma Cepero Pérez – Technical University of Havana Wilfredo González Vidal – Coordinator, Sovereignty Project Dr. Alain Lamadrid Vallina – Director of Informatization, Ministry of Higher Education
Moderator: Ailyn Febles Estrada – Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
15:10 Session Closure Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
15:30 Policy Synthesis and Strategic Priorities Rodney Taylor – CTU Shanea Lewis – CTU Tariq Mohammed – CIYN
16:00 Open Microphone Michelle Garcia – CTU
16:30 Conclusions and Next Steps Rodney Taylor – CTU
16:50 Closing Remarks of the CIGF Mayra Arevich Marín – Minister of Communications of Cuba
On August 15-17 2025 the 16th Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference will be held at St John’s University in Queens NY. The entire event will be webcast by ISOC.LIVE
On 11 August 2025 the Internet Society held its 2025 Q3 call for the Asia Pacific (APAC) community. The call highlighted training and e-learning achievements across the region, with chapter members from India sharing transformative experiences from technical courses and hands-on bootcamps. The meeting also featured a DotAsiapresentation on new gTLD opportunities for ISOC chapters, offering financial and operational support to help them develop sustainable, mission-driven domain registries.
SPEAKERS Hafsa Anjum – ISOC India Bengaluru Chapter Chetanraj Jakanur – ISOC India Bengaluru Chapter Keerthana S – ISOC India Chennai Chapter Hriesheec VA – SOC India Chennai Chapter Evin Erdogdu – DotAsia Edmon Chung – DotAsia / ISOC Hong Kong Chapter
HOST / MODERATOR Sohini Rajiyung – Internet Society
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