Shaping the Future of the Internet

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Mar 2, 2015) - The Internet forms a crucial pillar of the world's economic infrastructure. Given recent developments in online privacy, cyber-security and freedom, what policies can best harness the transformational power of the Internet to create economic opportunity, address social challenges and include everyone in the digital economy?

A conference to be held next week in Washington, D.C. will examine these questions and much more. "Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Digital Economy: The OECD Evidence and Practice Base," March 10 at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center, is being presented by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), along with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD.

"It's important for both business and government to recognize the unique and important role that the OECD has played in conducting evidence-based research and developing related policy recommendations aimed at enabling all sectors to access the economic and social benefits provided by ICTs and Internet-enabled innovation," said Joseph Alhadeff, vice president of global public policy and chief privacy strategist, Oracle Corporation.

The full-day conference will feature a strong lineup of policymakers and thought leaders from around the world, including:

• Julie Brill, commissioner, U.S. Federal Trade Commission
• Rogelio Garza, undersecretary of industry & commerce, Mexico
• Andrew Wyckoff, director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (STI)
• Amb. Daniel Sepulveda, deputy assistant secretary and U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy, U.S. Department of State
• Houlin Zhao, secretary general, International Telecommunications Union
• Kathryn Brown, president and CEO, Internet Society

In view of the Internet's importance to all sectors of the economy, the March 10 program will be open to business participants from the ICT community, as well as representatives of the Internet technical community and civil society.

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.