Prof Rajendra Pratap Gupta to lead the dynamic coalition on ‘Internet & Jobs’ at the Internet Governance Forum, United Nations

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was announced by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 18 July 2006, as a platform for discussions. The IGF brings various people and stakeholder groups to the table as equals to exchange information and share good policies and practices relating to the Internet and technologies

Global public policy expert Prof Rajendra Pratap Gupta has been tasked to lead the dynamic coalition on ‘Internet & Jobs’ as its Chair at the Internet Governance Forum, United Nations. With COVID-19, the world is at a tipping point when it comes to job losses due to imminent economic collapse, and this global role will entail showing the way for job creation, globally. 

Prof Rajendra Pratap Gupta commenting on this role said, ‘This is a lifetime opportunity to make a difference, globally. And we will engage with all stakeholders to come out with transformative ideas’, and expressed his optimism to deliver on this role.

Rajendra has been the proponent of ‘Sustainable Automation’, and he brings a unique capability of handling complex issues, across sectors and across countries, given his work in the international arena. He is a serial social entrepreneur who has founded many not-for-profits; HIMSS Asia Pacific India, DMAI (An organisation with a Special Consultative Status with the United Nations), Centre for Participatory Democracy, and the ‘Government Industry Dialogue’ initiative. Known as a disruptive thinker, he played a key role in drafting the election manifestos of the BJP in 2009 and 2014, and various policies of the Modi Government. He has served at senior-most levels at fortune 20 & fortune 500 companies in India, and advised organizations across; USA, Europe, U.K., Middle East, and India. He has been invited by global organizations like the United Nations, UNESCO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Health Organization, World Economic Forum, and International Telecommunications Union, by the United States of America, Governments of Japan, Finland, Algeria & Bangladesh, and also by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Labour and Employment, & The Planning Commission – Government of India, for his views on a diverse range of issues.

Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was announced by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 18 July 2006, as a platform for discussions. The IGF brings various people and stakeholder groups to the table as equals to exchange information and share good policies and practices relating to the Internet and technologies. 

It facilitates common understandings and knowledge exchange of how to maximise Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges.

The IGF also gives stakeholders from all countries, including developing countries, the opportunity to engage in the debate on Internet Governance and it contributes to capacity building, allowing these stakeholders to build knowledge and skills that will facilitate their participation in existing Internet Governance institutions and arrangements. Ultimately, the involvement of all stakeholders, from developed as well as developing countries, from governments to international organisations, from the private sector to the civil society, is necessary for advancing dynamic public policies in Internet Governance.

This Dynamic Coalition on ‘Internet & Jobs’has come from the realisation of the need for sustainable and responsible automation, and the potential of the Internet to create jobs and boost the local economies. It is a result of the initiatives taken by Prof Rajendra Pratap Gupta at the IGF, since 2018 when it was held in Paris and then, in 2019, at Berlin.

The Dynamic Coalition will work with individuals, communities, universities, organisations, and the governments to further the goals of creating a vibrant digital economy supporting the feet on the ground (local jobs). 

The goal 

• To create jobs across sectors and geographies, through a multi-stakeholder, ecosystem approach of; Connect, Coordinate, Activate, Train, and Enable. 

• Help people realise the human resource and entrepreneurial potential of the Internet across the globe. 

Action plan

• The Dynamic Coalition on Internet & Jobs will come out with an annual report on ‘Internet & Jobs’ capturing the opportunities, best practices, and success stories, to inspire people to leverage the Internet to build local economies and connect them to the global opportunities. 
• Organise online and offline workshops on how local communities can leverage the Internet for a better life.

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