The Secretariat of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network and the United Nations Economic Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) have launched the first Internet & Jurisdiction and ECLAC Regional Status Report 2020 in a special session within the framework of the 7th Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean on November 24, 2020. 
The Internet & Jurisdiction and ECLAC Regional Status Report 2020 aims to serve practitioners as a roadmap to some of the most pressing issues surrounding policymaking and the cross-border nature of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean.
KEY FINDINGS
- 83% of stakeholders agree or strongly agree that the deployment of innovative frameworks such as regulatory sandboxes helps foster economic growth.
- 61% believe that the cross-border nature of the internet facilitates foreign interference with the democratic process.
- 73% agree or strongly agree that there is a demand for coordination to address cross-border legal challenges.
- 81% of stakeholders believe that foreign regulatory approaches (e.g. EU or the U.S.) inspire initiatives in the LAC Region.
The Report draws on the pioneering methodology of the Internet & Jurisdiction Global Status Report 2019 by combining detailed desk research with a regional data collection engaging key stakeholders – states, internet companies, technical operators, civil society, academia, and international organizations.
FRAMING THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL INTEGRATION IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
- Documentation of past, current and emerging trends
- Overview of significant policy processes and actors
- Concise infographics
- Proposed solutions to major cross-border jurisdictional challenges
- Synthesizing knowledge of key stakeholders in the region
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the necessity of the digital economy as well as the challenges when people are left behind. As societies become more reliant on digital goods and services, strong cross-border normative frameworks are becoming increasingly necessary to handle cross-border data transfers, privacy, and data security.
Translating highly technical information into actionable information for policymakers, the Regional Report reveals the latest trends on key topics ranging from the role of intermediaries, privacy, freedom of expression and also start-ups, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things.
WHAT STAKEHOLDERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE REPORT
AN IMPORTANT REGION IN A GLOBAL MAPPING EXERCISE
The Internet & Jurisdiction and ECLAC Regional Status Report 2020 follows the Internet & Jurisdiction Global Status Report 2019, released for the first time at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum in Berlin on November 27, 2019, during a Special Session and officially launched in Latin America on May 12, 2020 at a Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean organized by the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC). This conference was held as a part of a joint 5 years Memorandum of Understanding signed between both organizations in 2019.
COMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMS OF THE INTERNET & JURISDICTION POLICY NETWORK
The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network is the multistakeholder organization addressing the tension between the cross-border internet and national jurisdictions. Its Secretariat facilitates a global policy process in which over 400 key entities including governments, the world’s largest internet companies, technical operators, civil society groups, academia, and international organizations from over 70 countries work together. The Report complements the work of key stakeholders in the three policy Programs of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, where voluntary policy standards are developed to address concrete cross-border legal challenges.
THANK YOU TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE INTERNET & JURISDICTION AND ECLAC REGIONAL STATUS REPORT 2020
The Secretariat entrusted internationally renowned Professor Carlos Affonso de Souza, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) and Director - Institute for Technology & Society (ITS Rio) with the authorship of the Report. The Internet & Jurisdiction and ECLAC Regional Status Report 2020 is made possible by the support of GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany).
