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round 1,500 representatives of governments, business and civil society are gathering at the eighth annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Bali. The forum opening took place at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) this afternoon.

The four-day forum, running from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25, has the objective of maximizing the opportunity for open and inclusive dialogue and exchange of ideas; to try and create feedback loops between different types of sessions; to create opportunities; to share good practices and experiences; and to build capacities among all stakeholders.

The forum will also allow participants in Bali and those participating remotely to listen, engage in dialogue and learn, as well as to identify key themes that could benefit from the multi-stakeholder perspective.

Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said the purpose of the IGF was closely related to the acceleration of progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

'€œIndonesia will propose that we, as one global community, develop more concrete global cyber ethics,'€ Tifatul said.

'€œThese norms are to be common references for all stakeholders to conduct transactions and interaction in cyberspace,'€ the minister said.

Cyber ethics, he said, were fundamental to demonstrating respect for the values of different countries, communities and cultures.

Based on the ministry'€™s data revealed in 2012, Indonesia has some 63 million Internet users, 47 million accounts on Facebook and nearly 30 million Twitter accounts.

Previously, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was among a group of eminent persons calling for a '€˜data revolution'€™ that would improve the quality of information available to citizens.

Wu Hungbo, the United Nations under-secretary general for Economic and Social Affairs, said that it was essential '€œfor improving access to knowledge and education, for empowering women, for enhancing transparency and for giving marginalized populations a voice in the decision making process.'€

'€œWith so much at stake, the IGF exists to create an environment in which the potential is harnessed by all and for all.'€

It is forecast that nearly 40 percent of the world'€™s population will be online by the end of 2013.

The IGF has been held since the 2006 World Summit on Information Society to foster a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address emerging risks and challenges.

The IGF is also intended as a space for developing countries to be granted the same opportunity as wealthier nations to engage in the debate on Internet governance.

This year'€™s IGF will also review the role of governments in multi-stakeholder cooperation for Internet governance.

The Bali meeting will seek to identify common ground on this issue. A series of pre-event workshops and meetings were held at BNDCC on Monday, Oct. 21, prior to the opening.