Agenda & Programme
Theme: TBC
Liberia IGF 2026 Meeting Date – Main Week : April 28–30 2026 ( Event Week 2026 / meeting /events )
Agenda development window (Call-for-Input / MAG review): February 12–20 March 2026 (community submissions reviewed and clustered)
1) Draft Agenda (to be published after Call-for-Input closes — March 2026)
The Draft Agenda will be posted following the MAG review (March 2026 ) and will show session titles, formats, lead organizers, and expected outputs.
A sample high-level draft (for transparency) will include:
Day | High-level focus |
Day 1 — Mon (Plenary & Opening) | National policy signals; .lr stewardship launch; keynote: Trust & Digital Public Infrastructure |
Day 2 (Policy & Regulation) -Thematic Dialogue Consultation | Data protection, privacy, open data for development |
Day 3 (Technical & Security) | DNS resilience & cybersecurity, DNSSEC, anycast, incident response |
Day 4 (Economy & Inclusion) | Digital economy, SMEs, affordable domains, local content |
Day 5 (Youth, Women & Closing) | Youth Track Day; Women in Tech Track; closing communique & next steps |
Draft Agenda will be updated to reflect community inputs received during 2–6 Feb-March 2026 and MAG recommendations.
2) Final Agenda (Structure & Publication)
The Final Agenda (published in June 2026) will include:
- Full session titles and descriptions
- Confirmed speakers, moderators and session leads
- Timeslots, room allocations and online access links
- Expected outputs per session (policy brief, toolkit, training cohort, pilot launch)
- Accessibility information (live captions, sign language, recorded sessions)
A downloadable PDF of the Final Agenda and an ICS calendar for attendees will be made available on this page.
3) Session Descriptions
Below is a proposed set of core sessions the Program Committee and MAG can use as a menu when clustering submissions. Each session includes suggested format, objectives, and deliverables.
Session Title | Format | Objective(s) | Suggested Deliverable |
Opening Plenary: Trust & Digital Public Infrastructure | Plenary (40 mins) | Set national signal on .lr governance, DPI priorities, and year’s outcomes. | Joint Liberia IGF – MOPT , IIC and LTA communiqué; public commitments on .lr transparency. |
.lr Redelegation & Stewardship: Public Interest Safeguards | Panel + Q&A (45 mins) | Explain redelegation process, governance models, registrant protections; solicit stakeholder feedback. | Technical baseline checklist; public FAQ for registrants. |
DNS Resilience: DNSSEC, Anycast, Escrow & Continuity | Technical lab (half-day) | Hands-on guidance for registry/registry staff; build local capacity on DNS security. | Certified cohort (min. 20); lab report with action items. |
Cyber Incident Preparedness for Government Services | Workshop (3 hours) | Develop quick-reference playbook for ministry IT teams to reduce downtime & manage incidents. | National Incident Playbook (draft). |
Digital Identity, Privacy & Open Data for Service Delivery | Panel + Breakouts (90 mins) | Explore privacy-preserving DPI use cases for e-government services. | Policy recommendations & best-practice brief. |
SME Digital Uptake: Affordable Domains & E-commerce | Roundtable (60–75 mins) | Solutions to reduce friction for SMEs to adopt .lr and e-commerce practices. | SME pilot: 50 .lr adoption commitments & promotional plan. |
AI Ethics & Public Services (Local Context) | Plenary / Debate (75 mins) | Unpack risks/opportunities of AI for Liberia’s public sector. | Short policy note on responsible AI deployment. |
Closing: Liberia IGF Communique & Roadmap | Plenary (30 mins) | Publish actionable next steps and accountability owners. | Final Communique & implementation timeline. |
These session suggestions reflect recurring priorities across African NRIs and global IGF themes — notably trust, resilience, DPI, inclusion and youth engagement.
4) Side Events & Youth Activities
Liberia IGF 2026 will feature a rich side-event programme and dedicated tracks. Side events will be held alongside the main programme (evenings / parallel rooms) and can be hosted by partners, academic institutions, donor projects, or regional bodies.
Side Events (examples):
- Registrar & ISP roundtable on .lr pricing & registrar accreditation
- Civil society forum on online rights and digital safety
- Private sector showcase: fintech, e-commerce, digital startups
Youth Track — Dedicated Day & Programme
Following IGF best practice for youth engagement, Liberia IGF will host a Youth Track Day with co-created programming and mentorship. The Youth Track is designed to be youth-led, intergenerational, and action-focused.
Youth Track structure (sample):
Time | Session | Objective | Output |
Morning | Youth Bootcamp: Policy 101 (3 hrs) | Build baseline knowledge for youth delegates | Youth policy briefs; participants list |
Midday | Youth-Led Panels (90 mins) | Discuss digital entrepreneurship, safety and civic tech | Youth statements; short videos |
Afternoon | Hackathon Pitch (4 hrs) | Prototype youth solutions (DPI / civic services) | Top 3 pilot proposals for mentorship |
Evening | Intergenerational Dialogue (90 mins) | Youth + senior leaders challenge-session | Youth Call-to-Action (presented in closing) |
Youth Track special features:
- Youth pre-event mentorship & training (virtual, March–Oct)
- Travel bursaries for rural youth participants (limited)
- Youth co-chair on Program Committee
Women in Tech Track — Dedicated Sessions & Support
To promote gender equity and leadership, the Women in Tech Track will run parallel workshops and sessions focusing on skills, leadership and policy influence.
Women in Tech Track examples:
Session | Format | Aim | Deliverable |
Leadership & Career Pathways | Panel + mentoring clinics | Support career advancement and network-building | Mentorship roster; 6-month peer support plan |
Women & Cybersecurity | Technical workshop | Equip women with practical cyber hygiene and incident response skills | Training certificates; resource pack |
Entrepreneurship & Access to Capital | Roundtable | Connect women-led startups to funding partners | Pipeline shortlist & investor pitch day |
Both Youth and Women in Tech Tracks will be fully integrated into the main programme outcomes, ensuring their recommendations are included in the final Communique.
5) Session Selection & Quality Assurance
All sessions selected will be through the Call for Input 2026 → MAG review → Program Committee refinement pipeline.
- Selection criteria include: relevance to theme, stakeholder balance, feasibility, gender and youth inclusion, and measurable outputs.
- The Program Committee will confirm moderators and coordinate speaker briefings to ensure high-quality delivery and accessibility (live captions, recorded sessions).
6) Expected Outputs & Post-Event Follow-up
Every session must specify expected outputs at submission (e.g., policy brief, toolkit, pilot commitment, training certificates). The Secretariat and M&E Committee will collect these outputs and publish them in the Liberia IGF 2026 Final Report and on the Liberia IGF website.
Core expected outputs:
- Liberia IGF 2026 Final Communique (actionable recommendations)
- Technical baselines & checklists for .lr/DNS security (DNSSEC/Anycast/Escrow)
- Youth policy briefs and pilot proposals (top 3)
- SME .lr adoption pilot plan & commitments
- Training certification for technical labs (DNS, cybersecurity)
Accessibility & Inclusion Commitments (applies to programme design)
- All plenaries and major sessions will include live captions and recordings.
- Bursaries will be available to support participation from under-represented regions, women and youth.
Venues and online platforms in line with DC Accessibility guidance.