A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF SEEDIG/SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN DIALOG ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE/ GUIDED BY THE OVERARCHING THEME “A DECADE OF DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION: WHAT’S NEXT?”

SEEDIG 10 serves as a platform for both reflection and forward-looking conversation about the future of digital governance, and our regional collaboration.

SEEDIG 10 is also a tribute to the origins of the global internet governance — 20 years ago, Athens hosted the very first global IGF, paving the way for multistakeholder cooperation. Now, our region reunites to honor this legacy, celebrate our achievements, and look ahead to the next chapter.

The first annual edition of SEEDIG 2015 was in Sofia:

https://www.mtc.government.bg/en/category/172/european-dialogue-internet-governance-eurodig ;  https://dig.watch/event/seedig-2015-sofia-bulgaria  

TOPICS

Regulatory Approaches to Harmful Content Online: Towards Alignment with European Standards, including the Digital Services Act

Harmful content online, whether illegal or not, poses a growing challenge for media regulators seeking to uphold democratic values, protect users, and support a pluralistic media environment. The rapid evolution of digital platforms, including video-sharing services and AI-driven content distribution, has amplified the risks linked to such content. In this context, new European standards have emerged. In particular, the Digital Services Act (DSA) offers a structured framework for transparency, accountability, and user protection, requiring significant adaptation from domestic regulatory bodies. More broadly, the Council of Europe has placed digital threats — including disinformation, algorithmic manipulation and online abuse — at the centre of its democratic renewal agenda. Here regulatory authorities from the Western Balkans  exchange on their institutional remits, practical challenges, and cooperation opportunities in tackling harmful content online. This is  an opportunity to discuss the findings of studies analysing domestic regulatory and policy frameworks in the region relevant to alignment with the DSA.

Countering Harmful Content and Disinformation Online

While freedom of expression remains a cornerstone of democratic societies, the proliferation of harmful content online — including disinformation, hate speech, and incitement to violence — poses serious risks to public trust, democratic institutions, and societal cohesion. We explore how to strengthen democratic resilience by addressing harmful online content through a human rights-based approach, grounded in Council of Europe standards. It will foster a multi-stakeholder dialogue among legal experts and media regulators from South-Eastern Europe, aiming to identify human rights-compliant solutions to address the most pressing challenges in content governance today.

Gov.gr and Beyond: Rethinking Public Administration and Public Communication in Greece through Digital Innovation and AI Ethics

In recent years, Greece has made significant strides in public sector digital transformation. With the launch of gov.gr, the integration of digital authorisations, AI-enhanced services (such as the Land Registry), and a rapidly evolving digital wallet, the Greek public administration is moving from fragmentation to functional simplicity. But how deep is this transformation? Beyond the platforms and user interfaces, digital innovation raises important questions about organizational culture in the Greek public sector, the shift from rigid bureaucracy to agile governance, and the ethical implications of integrating AI in citizen-facing services. A session is focused exclusively on Greece as a case study — reflecting on lessons learned, persistent challenges (such as digital skills, inter-agency interoperability, and citizen trust), and how Greece’s experience can inform future strategies. Speakers explore how this national transformation interacts with broader European frameworks — such as the Digital Decade targets and the EU’s approach to AI regulation. Rather than presenting a success story, the session aims to open a critical and constructive dialogue about what meaningful digital governance means in the Greek context — and what comes next.

Parliamentary Dialogue: The Role of Parliaments and Parliamentary Assemblies in the Governance of Internet and Democratic Resilience

The South-Eastern European region has unique characteristics that are highly important from a strategic point of view. The session aims at highlighting the centrality of parliamentary dialogue in identifying and putting into practice new tools for the governance of the internet and emerging technologies, in the framework of the strategic guidelines adopted, among others, by the United Nations, the European Union and the OECD, in order to strengthen democratic resilience. In South-Eastern Europe, one factor that contributes significantly to eroding democratic resilience is the rise of hate speech and political violence online: PAM is very committed to addressing these phenomena. In the session, the research findings of the PAM report ‘Resilience of Democratic Systems in relation t Public-Private Policy Dialogue: Human Rights and Digital Business

As digital transformation accelerates across the public and private sectors, addressing human rights impacts in digital business has become a growing priority. This session examines the changing relationship between digital innovation and human rights, looking into the challenges companies face in meeting standards, as well as the opportunities and competitive advantages of proactive engagement. The focus is on international instruments, including the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, the first international binding instrument in this field, as well as the risk and impact assessment of AI systems, which together provide frameworks for aligning the use of AI with human rights standards. Furthermore, the discussion explores how digital tools — such as open data platforms and human rights tracking tools — can help implement safeguards and monitor outcomes across businesses. Examples are presented on   how governments, international organisations and civil society are using these technologies to advance global human rights efforts. Representatives of leading technology companies and associations, members of the Council of Europe Digital Partnership  present their tools and policies on protecting human rights and democracy online, such as ethics by design principles, social corporate responsibility charts, community principle etc. The speakers  elaborate on the ongoing cooperation with the Council of Europe. A special attention will be given to initiatives in South-Eastern Europe.

Digital IDs and Wallets in the Balkans: Progress, Challenges, and Human-Centric Approaches

This session explores the implementation of digital ID systems and digital wallets across the Balkan region, highlighting national approaches, regional coordination, and emerging challenges around privacy, inclusion, and trust.

Co-Creation Workshop: Shaping Digital Futures – Youth as Catalysts for Change

 To address four key digital policy priorities for South Eastern Europe:

1. Inclusive and rights-based AI – embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability in algorithmic systems.
2. Multistakeholder cooperation on cybersecurity – strengthening regional resilience and trust.
3. Youth participation in digital governance – moving from tokenistic involvement to meaningful engagement.
4. Digital economy and talent retention – addressing brain drain and promoting youth employment.

Following a short introduction to each theme, participants work in thematic groups to exchange perspectives, identify key challenges, and co-develop concrete recommendations.

Beyond ASCII: Navigating the Internet in Local Languages

To explore the critical role of local languages in building an inclusive and accessible internet. It features lightning talks from EURid, the .eu registry — presenting key findings from the 2025 IDN World Report and insights from recent ccTLD consultations — and from the Coalition on Digital Impact (CODI), an independent global alliance working to empower communities to access and navigate the internet in their native languages. These talks set the stage for a panel discussion addressing the technical, infrastructural, policy, and societal challenges of moving beyond ASCII. Topics include universal acceptance, multilingual content, regional collaboration, and youth perspectives. To explore what it takes to build a truly inclusive internet.

Securing the Internet Routing in the SEE Region

Internet security can be strengthened across multiple layers. In this session, speakers focus on securing a critical part of the infrastructure: the IP routing layer, which sits just above the physical and transport layers. Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) is a security framework that enables cryptographic validation of BGP route announcements. It plays a key role in preventing route hijacking and misoriginations. However, the successful deployment of RPKI depends on collaboration between the technical community, the private sector, and policymakers. During the session, experts will present the current state of RPKI adoption among network operators in the South-Eastern Europe region. The panel brings together diverse perspectives and expertise, aiming to raise awareness about secure routing and encourage broader implementation by showcasing available tools and best practices.

The Future of Multistakeholder Internet Governance: WSIS+20 through South Eastern European Lens

As the UN General Assembly prepares for pivotal discussions on internet cooperation and development, this session considers expected outcomes of the December meeting, the future of the WSIS framework, and the implementation of the Global Digital Compact to advance inclusive digital development. It explores how to ensure global policies reflect local needs, the role of SEEDIG and other NRIs in fostering engagement, the contribution of Schools of Internet Governance to preparing future leaders, and ways internet users can influence technology and policy-making.

Investigating Online Harassment and Abuse against Women Journalists in the Western Balkans

Online harassment and abuse against women journalists are a worrying trend in the Western Balkans and across Europe. Evidence shows that backlash to women’s journalistic activity often escalates offline, yet its impact is frequently minimised despite similar chilling effects on expression and its distinctly gendered nature. Authorities continue to fall short in investigating cases and providing effective remedies. States have a duty to address harassment and abuse—including online—and to investigate its gendered impact on freedom of expression through an intersectional lens. Recognising and monitoring these impacts is key to ending impunity for harassment, intimidation or threats of violence, online and offline, and to building a framework for accountability.
Digital Policy and Enlargement: A Regional Roadmap for the Western Balkans

To explore how regional cooperation and the EU integration process can be utilized for ensuring a safer, more functional and trustworthy online environment for users in the Western Balkans. The EU enlargement process offers a timely opportunity for the region to embed the principles of the EU digital regulatory framework—particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA)—into national legislation. Digital policy alignment is of strategic importance, supporting both regional and EU-wide goals related to democracy, economic integration, and security. However, progress across the region is slow and fragmented. To address this, digital policy must be recognized as a core pillar of the enlargement agenda.
Given the shared and interconnected nature of digital ecosystems, markets, and risks in the Western Balkans, a unified regional approach is essential. This perspective aligns with the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which identifies the digital single market as a priority segment for economic integration. Yet, achieving region-wide political consensus will be challenging. Regional cooperation frameworks, such as the Common Regional Market, offer a valuable basis for promoting coordinated digital alignment across the region. This session  explores  practical pathways for harmonizing digital rules and regulatory approaches, and ensuring operational readiness for implementing the EU digital rulebook. The institutional and capacity-building needs of regulators in the region is addressed.

Cyber Interference with Democracy

To explore how information and communication technologies are misused to manipulate democratic institutions, electoral processes, and public trust in governance. The focus is on recent cases of cyber interference in elections through malicious activities, outlining various forms of such interference, and discussing preventative and responsive measures grounded in the principles of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Highlights and Challenges of SEE ccTLDs During Decade

 To tackle the progress of regional ccTLDs in the past 10 years illustrating the digital development of local markets. We  observe aspects of infrastructure improvement, market strength, but also the policies ccTLD registries needed to implement and adjust minding the EU regulation and local legislation. From the perspective of a provider of a key service of the Internet, we are to deliberate our own voice and positions in the complex ecosystem, relevance, growth, challenges faced, and lessons learned, minding the trends that could easily become a game changer.

Caught in the Feed: Rethinking Media’s Dependency on Big Tech

As media outlets across the globe — and especially in smaller or less resourced markets — struggle with funding, visibility, and distribution, they have become increasingly dependent on the infrastructure and algorithms of Big Tech platforms like Google, Meta, and X. This session  explores the implications of that dependency: from platform-driven traffic and ad revenue models to the algorithmic shaping of news visibility, content priorities, and public discourse. In regions like the Western Balkans, where media pluralism is already fragile, the influence of Big Tech can exacerbate vulnerabilities, reinforcing monopolies and limiting local agency. The session brings together media researchers and policy experts, journalists, and tech representatives to critically assess the current media-tech dynamic and explore sustainable, independent alternatives.

Platform Bans on the Rise: Trends and Human Rights Implications in SEE

To examine the increasing trend of platform bans in South-Eastern Europe and their implications for freedom of expression, political participation, and privacy. Drawing on BIRN’s regional monitoring of digital rights violations, it explores the timing and legal implications of bans, their impact on democratic processes, and strategies for safeguarding civic space.