SEEDIG Welcomes You To Our Special Anniversary Edition
Athens, Greece | 10–11 October 2025
Imagine starting the day with a breathtaking sunrise over the Aegean, as we come together for a special anniversary edition of SEEDIG. Guided by the overarching theme “A Decade of Dialogue and Cooperation: What’s Next?”, SEEDIG 10 will serve 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.
Join us for two days of dialogue, and inspiration under the Greek sun!
Your SEEDIG 10 Starts Here
Register for SEEDIG 10
Join us for SEEDIG 10 – our special anniversary edition!
Be part of a decade-long journey of dialogue and cooperation in digital governance. Register now to connect with experts, policymakers, and the regional community as we shape the next chapter together.
Become partner or sponsor
Support SEEDIG 10 and be part of our anniversary edition! Whether through strategic collaboration or sponsorship, your contribution helps strengthen regional dialogue on digital governance.
We offer tailored sponsorship packages to align with your organization’s goals.
Reach out to SEEDIG Board!
SEEDIG 10 will take place at the Radisson Blu Park Hotel Athens, ideally located in the heart of the city, directly across from Pedion Areos Park. The venue offers convenient access to public transportation, with the Victoria metro station just 300 meters away, and is easily reachable by bus, trolley, taxi, or car. Participants will be within easy access to iconic landmarks such as the Acropolis, Plaka, and Monastiraki, as well as a vibrant selection of restaurants, cafés, and museums. For added convenience, we recommend booking accommodation at the event venue, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout the meeting.
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SEEDIG 10 Program at a Glance
DAY 1 – Friday, 10 October 2025
09:00–10:00
🖊️🤝🏻 Registration & Networking
10:00–10:30
📣 SEEDIG Chair Opening Talk – 10 Years of SEEDIG: From Idea to Impact
10:30–11:00
📣 Keynote
11:00–11:15
☕ Coffee Break
11:15–12:00
💬 Gov.gr and Beyond: Rethinking Public Administration 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. This session will focus 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 will also 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Click the photo or name to view bio.
🗣️ Speakers
Dimitra Tompros Public Policy Expert, Scientific Staff at the Institute of Training, National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA), Greece
Andreas Stefanidis President, Academy of Entrepreneurship
Georgios Karamanolis Co-founder & CTO, Crowdpolicy
💼 Session Lead
National Centre of Public Administration and Local Governance (Greece)
11:15–12:00
🏛️ 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 proposed 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 to the Misuse of AI, ICT, and other Emerging Technologies’ will be presented.
🎙️ Moderator
Marco Emanuele (Italy)
Senior Researcher of the PAM Centre for Global Studies (CGS)
Senior Researcher of the PAM Centre for Global Studies (CGS)
Speakers
🗣️ Hon. Abdelouahab Yagoubi (Algeria)
PAM Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence
🗣️ Hon. Klodiana Spahiu (Albania)
Vice-President of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum
🗣️ Hon. Fotini Arampatzi (Greece)
Head of the Greek Delegation to PAM
🗣️ Hon. Mirela Furtuna (Romania)
Head of the Romanian Delegation to PAM
🗣️ Hon. Nikola Lazic (Serbia)
Member of the Serbian Delegation to PAM
PAM Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence
🗣️ Hon. Klodiana Spahiu (Albania)
Vice-President of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum
🗣️ Hon. Fotini Arampatzi (Greece)
Head of the Greek Delegation to PAM
🗣️ Hon. Mirela Furtuna (Romania)
Head of the Romanian Delegation to PAM
🗣️ Hon. Nikola Lazic (Serbia)
Member of the Serbian Delegation to PAM
💼 Session Lead
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM)
12:00–13:00
🏛️ 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 will examine the changing relationship between digital innovation and human rights, focusing on the challenges companies face in meeting standards, as well as the opportunities and competitive advantages of proactive engagement. The discussion will explore how digital tools — such as open data platforms and human rights tracking tools — can help implement safeguards and monitor outcomes across businesses. It will also feature examples of 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, will 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 will elaborate on the ongoing cooperation with the Council of Europe. A special attention will be given to initiatives in South-Eastern Europe.
🎙️ Moderator
Click the photo or name to view bio (where available).
Octavian Sofransky
Digital Governance Advisor, Council of Europe
Biljana Nikolic, Programme Manager, Council of Europe
Speakers
🗣️ Domenico Zipoli
Project Coordinator and Senior Research Fellow, Geneva Academy
🗣️ Daniel Pap
Programme Manager, Digital Development, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
🗣️ Milica Mirkovic
Research Consultant, Geneva Human Rights Platform
🗣️ Representatives of Digital Partners
Project Coordinator and Senior Research Fellow, Geneva Academy
🗣️ Daniel Pap
Programme Manager, Digital Development, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
🗣️ Milica Mirkovic
Research Consultant, Geneva Human Rights Platform
🗣️ Representatives of Digital Partners
💼 Session Lead
Council of Europe
12:00–13:00
💬 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 will explore 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Aida Mahmutovic, Project Manager, BIRN BiH
Speakers
🗣️ Julia Haas, Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
🗣️ Anida Sokol, Media researcher, Mediacentar Sarajevo
🗣️ Fedja Kulenovic, Media expert, Coalition for Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
🗣️ Google News Lab representative (TBC)
🗣️ Anida Sokol, Media researcher, Mediacentar Sarajevo
🗣️ Fedja Kulenovic, Media expert, Coalition for Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
🗣️ Google News Lab representative (TBC)
💼 Session Lead
Coalition for Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina & OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
13:00–14:00
🍽️ Lunch
14:00–15:30
💬 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. This session will 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Alina Tatarenko
Head of Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, Council of Europe
🗣️ Speakers
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Azra Maslo
Programme Standards Coordinator, Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA), Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ioanna Choudalaki
Director of Digital Services, Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT), Greece
Persa Lampropoulou
Legal Advisor, National Council for Radio and Television of Greece
Robert Gajda
Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, Albania
Intervention From the Floor
Aikaterini Polyzou
Head of Department for Audiovisual Media and Internet, Presidency of the Government, General Secretariat of Communication and Media
💼 Session Lead
Council of Europe
14:00–15:30
🧩 Co-Creation Workshop: Shaping Digital Futures – Youth as Catalysts for Change
This interactive workshop will convene stakeholders to address four key digital policy priorities for South Eastern Europe:
- Inclusive and rights-based AI – embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability in algorithmic systems.
- Multistakeholder cooperation on cybersecurity – strengthening regional resilience and trust.
- Youth participation in digital governance – moving from tokenistic involvement to meaningful engagement.
- Digital economy and talent retention – addressing brain drain and promoting youth employment.
🎙️ Expert Facilitators
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Katarina Bojović
Director of Digital Diplomacy, DiploFoundation
Vildane Kelmendi
CEO, CACTTUS Education
Aleksey Chalabyan
Cybersecurity Consultant, CyberHUB-AM
Mila Bajic
Research Lead, SHARE Foundation
Expert facilitators will be joined by co-facilitators from the
SEEDIG Youth School 2025 and the
International Digital Policy Fellowship by the German Ministry for Digital and State Modernization,
ensuring that youth perspectives are at the heart of the discussion.
💼 Session Lead
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
15:30–16:15
💬 Securing the Internet Routing in the SEE Region
Internet security can be strengthened across multiple layers. In this session, speakers will 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 will bring together diverse perspectives and expertise, aiming to raise awareness about secure routing and encourage broader implementation by showcasing available tools and best practices.
🎙️ Moderator
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Desiree Milošević
President, ISOC Serbia
🗣️ Speakers
Alena Muravska
Programme Manager – Public Policy & Internet Governance, RIPE NCC
Wouter Kobes
Governmental Advisor, Netherlands Standardization Forum
Zdravko Jukić
HAKOM, Croatia & BEREC Cybersecurity and Resilience Co-Chair
Network Operator SEE (TBC)
💼 Session Lead
RIPE NCC
15:30–16:15
💬 Beyond ASCII: Navigating the Internet in Local Languages
💼 Session Lead
EURid
16:15–16:30
☕ Coffee Break
16:30–17:30
🌐 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 will consider 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 will explore 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.
💼 Session Lead
ISOC Serbia Chapter
17:30–18:00
🎤 Open Mic – Community Reflections: SEEDIG Past, Present & Future
20:00
🎂 Cheers to 10 Years! SEEDIG Anniversary Reception
All SEEDIG 10 participants are warmly invited to join us for an evening of informal networking and celebration.
Let’s toast to 10 years of SEEDIG!
Let’s toast to 10 years of SEEDIG!
DAY 2 – Saturday, 11 October 2025
10:00–11:00
💬 Digital Policy and Enlargement: A Regional Roadmap for the Western Balkans
The session will 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 will explore practical pathways for harmonizing digital rules and regulatory approaches, and ensuring operational readiness for implementing the EU digital rulebook. Additionally, the panel will address the institutional and capacity-building needs of regulators in the region.
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 will explore practical pathways for harmonizing digital rules and regulatory approaches, and ensuring operational readiness for implementing the EU digital rulebook. Additionally, the panel will address the institutional and capacity-building needs of regulators in the region.
🎙️ Moderator
Click the photo or name to view bio.
Maida Ćulahović
Policy Coordinator, "Zašto ne"
🗣️ Speakers
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Vojislav Popović
Senior Expert on Digital Connectivity, RCC
Jadranka Vojvodić
Deputy Director & Head of the Supervision Department, Agency for Audiovisual Media Services of Montenegro
Emma Quaedvlieg
Policy Manager, Expert on the EU and Western Balkans, European Partnership for Democracy
💼 Session Lead
Udruženje građana "Zašto ne" / Citizens’ Association "Why Not"
10:00–11:00
💬 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.
This session is organised as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response project, co-funded by the European Union.
🎙️ Moderator
Click the photo or name to view bio.
Paulina Gutiérrez
Head of Protection and Civic Space, ARTICLE 19
🗣️ Speakers
Tajana Broz
Programme Coordinator & Deputy Executive Director, Faktograf
Rade Djurić
Lawyer & Researcher, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Maja Ćalović
Digital Media Expert & Trainer, Mediacentar Sarajevo
💼 Session Lead
ARTICLE 19 Europe
11:00–11:45
💬 Highlights and Challenges of SEE ccTLDs During the Decade
The session aims to tackle the progress of regional ccTLDs in the past 10 years illustrating the digital development of local markets. We are to 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Dijana Milutinović, Communications Manager, RNIDS
Speakers
🗣️ Barbara Povše, Arnes, Slovenia
🗣️ Zoran Perović, SoX, Serbia
🗣️ Goce Bocevski, Markom, North Macedonia
💼 Session Lead
RNIDS
11:00–11:45
💬 Cyber Interference With Democracy
The session will explore how information and communication technologies are misused to manipulate democratic institutions, electoral processes, and public trust in governance. The focus would be 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Octavian Sofransky, Digital Governance Advisor, Council of Europe
Speakers
🗣️ Paul Radu, Co-founder, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
🗣️ Nienke Palstra, Senior Campaigner, Global Witness
🗣️ TBC
💼 Session Lead
Council of Europe – Cybercrime Programme Office (C-PROC)
11:45–12:15
☕ Coffee Break
12:15–13:15
💬 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.
🎙️ Moderator
Asim Adeel
🗣️ Speakers
💼 Session Lead
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
12:15–13:15
💬 Platform Bans on the Rise: Trends and Human Rights Implications in SEE
This panel examines 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 will explore the timing and legal implications of bans, their impact on democratic processes, and strategies for safeguarding civic space.
🎙️ Moderator
Click the photo or name to view bio.
Azra Milić
Digital Rights Programme Coordinator, BIRN
🗣️ Speakers
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Megi Reçi
Digital Rights Research Lead, BIRN
Snežana Nikčević
Civic-tech Advocate, NGO 35mm
Besmir Semanaj
Digital Rights Researcher and Technology Expert
💼 Session Lead
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
13:15–13:30
🎤 Closing Reflections – See You at SEEDIG 11
16:00–21:00 (by invitation only)
🤝🏻 Strategy & Networking Meeting
Informal closed-door gathering for long-standing SEEDIG partners, sponsors, and supporters to reflect on SEEDIG’s evolution and discuss future strategic directions and collaboration modalities. An opportunity to thank our core community and shape the next chapter of SEEDIG together.
Submit session proposal
Have a great session idea for SEEDIG 10? Submit your proposal by 30 June and help shape the agenda for our special anniversary edition, highlighting key digital governance topics in SEE region.
Selected proposals will be announced by 15 July – don’t miss your chance to contribute!
Apply for Youth School 2025
Youth School 2025 is a two-phase program combining a moderated online Internet Governance course, powered by Internet Society, with an in-person one-day event on 9 October in Athens.
Designed for students and young professionals, it offers a unique opportunity to explore digital governance and connect with experts from across SEE.
Sponsors
