International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance

Lorrayne Porciuncula, Executive Director, Datasphere Initiative provided a Keynote Lecture at the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) in Athenes.

Ms. Porciuncula shared findings from the report “We Need to Talk About Data: Framing the Debate Around the Free Flow of Data and Data Sovereignty” and explained why we need to shift the territorial perspective around our relationship with data and instead, foster coordination, raise awareness and accelerate the adoption of innovative policy approaches.

On the concept of the Datasphere, Ms. Porciuncula presented how this concept can be useful for advancing a more holistic understanding of data as a common good that impacts how we address major global issues such as health pandemics and climate change.

“So much policy discussion on data is happening, but how can we build a space that has conversations in a systemic way and brings people who are developing good practices and solutions across sectors, geographies, and all walks of life together? There are other global issues that are much more urgent and out of our control, but finding a creative way for how to deal with the presence of the internet and data in our lives is more necessary than ever”, said Ms. Porciuncula.

Established in 2007, ICEGOV runs annually and is coordinated by the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV). ICEGOV promotes the sharing of knowledge through the publication and presentation of academic papers, both from developing and developed countries and has established itself over the years as a major conference in the domain of Electronic Governance (EGOV) due to its unique combination of academics and practitioners. The conference promotes the interaction and cooperation between universities, research centres, governments, industry, and international organizations.

Read more about the ICEGOV here.

Download the Report here to learn more about the key issues impacting data policy initiatives.