Under Secretary Catherine Novelli’s Istanbul Visit

Under Secretary Catherine Novelli
Under Secretary Catherine Novelli

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli has visited İstanbul to participate in the UN’s Ninth Annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Meeting in Istanbul on 2-5 September, 2014.

The Under Secretary met with government, business, information technology and civil society representatives from various countries and discussed Internet governance related issues while keeping all stakeholders involved. In her speech at the IGF Plenary Session, Under Secretary Novelli said that the Internet bridges the gap between talent and opportunity across the world, and so, we have a shared responsibility to be “good stewards of the Internet”. She then hosted a live Twitter Q&A from the IGF 2014 with hashtag #openwww, emphasizing that the Internet is essential for economic growth and social engagement.

NTIA Administrator and Assistant Secretary of Commerce Lawrence E. Strickling, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Ambassador Pamela K. Hamamoto, Permanent Representative of the United States of the America to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva; Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda, U.S. Coordinator for Communications and Information Policy; State Department Coordinator for Cyber Issues Christopher Painter; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Busby of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and other representatives of the interagency joined Under Secretary Novelli during her visit to Turkey.