Policy regarding the Virtual ICEGOV 2020 Conference

Preliminary remarks

UNU-EGOV and CONVIN, the ICEGOV 2020 Organisers, will facilitate virtual access for attendees to participate in the ICEGOV2020 Conference through the use of electronic means (a “Virtual Conference”). The Organisers will facilitate the Virtual Conference by providing attendees the opportunity to follow the presentations of the conference and to participate virtually. The Organisers are not required by law to facilitate Virtual Conferences. The Organisers explicitly remind the attendees that this is a new application and the Organisers will offer this possibility for the first time. Even though the Organisers have used their best efforts to ensure that attendees are offered the best experience possible, attendees may experience issues that are common to any innovative application.

1. General

1.1 The Organisers aim to offer the ICEGOV2020 delegates who wish to attend the Meeting virtually by providing an adequate opportunity to participate electronically and in real time during the Virtual Conference.

1.2 The platform for the ICEGOV 2020 Virtual Conference will be provided by a Third Party Agent with access via the Third Party Agent.

1.3 Virtual attendees must identify themselves electronically via the Third Party Agent to enter the Virtual Conference through a secured access as set out in the Terms of Use of the Third Party Agent.

1.4 Participation instructions for Attendees will be included in the communications before the Virtual Conference.

1.5 The Organisers reserve the right at all times to modify, suspend, cancel or restrict the mechanisms for electronic participation when this becomes necessary or advisable for technical or security reasons.

2. Technical infrastructure

2.1 The Organisers ensure, to the extent reasonably possible, that the technical infrastructure for virtual participation in a Virtual Conference is properly in place, secured and accessible for Attendees with compatible devices. The Organisers will make use of reputable third parties for providing the technical infrastructure required for conducting the Virtual Conference.

2.2 Virtual Attendees should be aware that there will always be certain residual risks in relation to the technical infrastructure used for the Virtual Conference. These risks include, amongst others: any failure in virtual meeting equipment, software, network infrastructure, servers, internet or telephone connectivity, video or voice equipment, whether or not caused by an information security incident (which includes any unauthorized use, hacking, a Denial of Services attack, a denial of access, any failure or intrusion resulting from the theft or unlawful interception of a password or network access code and any other cyber-attack) or caused by any type of mechanical failure such as any electrical power outage during the Virtual Meeting. The failure of technology can happen both on the side of the Organisers (and/or the Third Party Agent) or with Virtual Attendees.

2.3 The Organisers will take all reasonable efforts to keep technical support lines available for Attendees who attend the meeting virtually.

2.4 Attendees may inform the Organisers of any failure of the technical infrastructure via the technical support lines referred to in Clause 2.3. Any failure in virtual meeting equipment, software, network infrastructure, servers, internet or telephone connectivity, an electrical power outage or similar events, including an information security incident (which includes any unauthorized use, hacking, a Denial of Services attack, a denial of access, any failure or intrusion resulting from the theft or unlawful interception of a password or network access code and any other cyber-attack), that might prevent virtual participation in the Virtual Conference, will in any event be at the risk and to the account of the Attendee.

2.5 Any failure of the technical infrastructure that occurs during the Virtual Conference which comes to the attention of the Organisers and which affects significantly the course of the Virtual Conference, shall be communicated by the Organisers to all Attendees who participate in the Virtual Conference. The Organisers may decide at their own discretion, taking into account the potential impact on the decision making-process within the Virtual Conference, whether or not the Virtual Conference must be suspended or cancelled due to such failure, or proceed without the possibility for some or all Virtual Attendees to participate and/or follow the Virtual Conference.

2.6 Should the Organisers decide to cancel the whole Virtual Conference or the remainder of the Virtual Conference as referred to in Clause 2.5, a new Conference, that does not have to be a Virtual Conference, will be convened by UNU-EGOV as soon as reasonably possible. The agenda for that Conference consists of at least the same items, to the extent not already adopted in the original meeting and may include other items as well.

3. Meeting rights by Virtual Attendees in Virtual Meeting

3.1 Each Attendee may follow the presentations of the Virtual Conference virtually and participate in real time electronically, provided that she/he timely selects this option via the Third Party Agent in accordance with the instructions provided in the convocation of the Virtual Conference.

3.2 Virtual Attendees are strongly advised to be log into to the online platform via the Third Party Agent facilitating the Virtual Conference prior to the start of the Virtual Conference.

3.3 Delegates attending the Virtual Conference, will be counted at the start of the Virtual Conference as in-person attendees for calculating how many Attendees are represented at the Virtual Meeting.

3.4 Meeting sessions will be recorded and will be made available after the conference.