AKIPRESS.COM - Bishkek hosted a two-day Internet Governance Forum in Central Asia, the first of its kind, which concluded in the Kyrgyz capital on June 22.

Some 100 specialists in the field of Internet governance and development, including representatives of the Central Asian state authorities, telecommunication experts, Internet service providers, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations from Europe and Central Asia, discussed issues related to cybersecurity and regulations, the development of the Domain Name System (DNS) industry, as well as global and national approaches to accessing the Internet.

“Kyrgyzstan ceased to be a ‘dead-end’ country in terms of the Internet in 2015 and has opened connections to countries in South-East and South Asia,” said Ernis Mamyrkanov, Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication. “This enhances the role of Kyrgyzstan in the issue of regional transit. Now we need a platform where all participants can discuss relevant issues and this Forum is intended to take that place.”

Daniele Rumolo, acting Deputy Head of the OSCE Center in Bishkek, said that governments have a role to play when it comes to regulating the Internet.

“This responsibility extends to the protection from harmful content, and fighting cybercrime. However, governments must ensure that all stakeholders, including civil society, business actors, and Internet-users, are consulted and continuously involved in these efforts,” Rumolo said.

The Forum was co-organized by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and the Civil Initiative on Internet Policy Public Foundation, supported by the SecDev Foundation (Canada), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Society, the United Nations Development Program in Kyrgyzstan and the OSCE Center in Bishkek.