On Wednesday, 13 November at 10.00-17.00, in the hotel Rooms Tbilisi (Kostava str. 14) the 5th Georgian Internet Governance Forum GeoIGF 2019 took place. The forum concerned current challenges in Georgia in the field of internet.

The forum has been opened by Nikoloz Alavidze - Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; Cristian Urse – Head of Council of Europe Office in Georgia; Frederick Donck – Director Europe Internet Society (ISOC); Vahan Hovsepyan – Foreign Office of the Network of European IP addresses (RIPE NCC); Natalia Mochu - GSE Manager, Eastern Europe & Central Asia at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

GeoIGF2019 has been attended by up to 200 participants from, governmental, non-governemntal, private and international organisations. International experts as well as representative of Georgian stakeholders in teh filed of internet governance were speakers at the forum.

The folowing topics have been discussed during GeoIGF2019: the challenges of broadband coverage for Georgia and implementation of 5G technology; Content and Intellectual property rights online; online media regulations and protection of children from harmful influence; so called internet of things (IoT), personal data protection, etc.

The event has been organised by the Council of Europe (CoE) in the framework of the project ‘Supporting Freedom of Media and Internet in Georgia”, as well as by ISOC, ICANN, RIPE NCC and Internet Governance Forum Support Association (IGFSA).

Background: GeoIGF is an annual event, which takes place in Georgia from 2015. It contributes to the discusssions moung stakehodlers around most presisng issues in internet, to more informtion and involvement. Main aim of GeoIGF is protection of human rights online.