RECORDING 20-22 AUG – 21st Caribbean Internet Governance Forum
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST | ES LIVESTREAM | ALL PDFS | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK
On 20th – 22nd August 2025, the Ministry of Communications of Cuba (MINCOM) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) presented the 21st Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) in Varadero, Cuba. The Forum addressed 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) was included in the 21st CIGF, on the afternoon of Day 1.
PARTNERS Internet Society | POST-ISAC | SECURE.POST | TTMAG |Internet Society Barbados Chapter | Internet Society Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
SCHEDULE (All times AST = UTC-4)
OPENING & CAPACITY BUILDING SESSION
01 Opening Remarks
Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
02 Capacity Building Session 1 – Introduction to 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
03 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
Prof. Maurice McNaughton – Remote
Moderator: Shanea Lewis – CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
CARIBBEAN YOUTH INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM (CYIGF)
04 CYIGF – Introduction and Welcome
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
Tariq Mohammed – 4th CYIGF Chair
Jose Carlos Cruz Sandoval – Vice President, GEIC, Cuba
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
05 CYIGF 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
06 CYIGF 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
07 CYIGF Panel 3: Women Empowerment in ICTs
Jael Goddard – 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
08 CYIGF 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)
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
09 Vote of Thanks and Closing of the CYIGF
Gabrielle Johnson – CIYN Vice Chair
Ailyn Febles Estrada – Vice Minister of Communications of Cuba
Rodney Taylor – Secretary General, CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
CARIBBEAN INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM (CIGF)
10 National Anthem and Opening Remarks
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
11 Opening Remarks – Rodney Taylor
Rodney Taylor – Secretary-General, CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
12 Greetings from Partner Organizations
Paula Oteguy – Head, Multistakeholder Engagement, LACNIC
Bevil Wooding – Director of Caribbean Affairs, ARIN & Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions (CAJS)
Albert Daniels – Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean, ICANN
Sebastián Bellagamba – Senior Director, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Internet Society
Chengetai Masango – Head of Office, UN IGF Secretariat
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
13 Feature Address – Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández
Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
14 Vote of Thanks – Michelle Garcia
Michelle Garcia – Communications Specialist, CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
15 Group Photos
YOUTUBE
16 Reflections on CIGF @ 21 – Shanea Lewis
Shanea Lewis – Policy Advisor, CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
17 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
Moderator: Shanea Lewis – Policy Advisor, CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
POLICY FORUM
18 Policy Forum Introduction
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
19 ARIN/LACNIC/CTU Policy Forum – Global Digital Governance at a Crossroads; WSIS+20; Global Digital Compact; ICP-2, ICANN gTLDs
Bevil Wooding – ARIN
Paula Oteguy – LACNIC
Chengetai Masango / Anja Gengo – UN IGF Secretariat
Michael Abejuela – ARIN
Jorge Villa / Esteban Tescano – LACNIC
Sybel Alonso Baldor – VP Net Op, ETECSA
Albert Daniels – ICANN
Moderator: Shanea Lewis – CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
20 Workshop/Facilitated Discussion: Mainstreaming AI in Caribbean Internet Governance
Rodney Taylor – Secretary General – CTU
Juan Fernández González – MINCOM
Moderator: Shergaun Roserie – Caribbean ICT Youth Network
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
21 DAY 3 Opening Remarks
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
22 Panel Discussion: Navigating Digital Harms in a Fragmented World
Cleveland Thomas – ITU
Lourdes Gutierrez – UNODC
Shannique Bowden – Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network
Omar Gutiérrez Granela – Havana Youth Computer and Electronics Club
Facilitator: Shiva Bissessar – Pinaka Consulting
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN CUBA
23 Digital Transformation in Cuba – Introduction
Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
24 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
25 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
Denys Buedo Hidalgo – Director of Informatization, MES
Moderator: Jorge Núñez Jover – Havana University Advisor
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
26 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
27 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
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
28 Informática 2026 Promo
March 24–27, 2026 – the theme “Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development.”
YOUTUBE | Alternate Video Link
AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
29 Digital Transformation in Cuba – Closure
Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández – First Deputy Minister of Communications of Cuba
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
CONCLUDING SESSION
30 Policy Synthesis and Strategic Priorities
Rodney Taylor – Secretary-General, CTU
Gabrielle Johnson – Vice Chair, Caribbean ICT Youth Network
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
31 Open Microphone
Facilitator: Michelle Garcia – CTU
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
32 Conclusions and Next Steps
Rodney Taylor – Secretary-General, CTU
Mayra Arevich Marín – Minister of Communications of Cuba
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
33 Closing Remarks of the CIGF
Dayron Chang Arranz – Host of Ceremonies
Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson – Host of Ceremonies
YOUTUBE | AUDIO | TRANSCRIPT | SUMMARY
TWITTER #CIGF2025 #CYIGF2025 #21CIGF #IGF @TheCTUnion @MINCOMCuba @InternetSociety @UPU_UN #TTMAG @ISOCBB @isocsvg @IntGovForum
Reply