Interview with Monica Abalo Laforgia (Argentina)

Monica Abalo Laforgia has been working for 10 years for a telecommunication company as Legal Manager. Since 2006, she has worked as an independent consultant in telecommunication issues, especially regarding data protection, cyber-crime and security as well as contract management and policies and procedures' development.


Monica Abalo representing the Argentina hub during the IGF 2008

Monica has her own telecommunication consultant agency (Consulting Project) which offer consultancy services to private companies and chambers of the sector.

>> Monica, what are you doing today?

First, let me give you a quick brief about my education and specialization to have an idea of my professional profile. I've graduated in law school in 1992 and made two post-degree courses about regulation in telecommunications in 1997 and 2000, respectively. Since 2006 I made the following courses:

- Specialization in personal data protection

- Legal aspect of ecommerce (by e-learning)

- IGCBP08 with Diplo

- Basic course of informatics forensic

I'm participating with CICTE (International Committee against Terrorisms) dependent of OAS as ad-hoc consultant/instructor in courses of creation of CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) about related-legal framework of the countries' region. Courses were developed in Brasilia, Brazil (June 2007), Miami, USA (November 2007); La Antigua, Guatemala (April 2008) and Botogá, Colombia (May 2008).


>> What about memberships and associations you belong to?

I'm member of ISOC-Ar (Argentina Chapter of ISOC) since 2006. In 2007 I was in charge of the general coordination and organization of the Conference on "New technical and legal trends on Internet" and I was recently proposed as the new President of the Chapter for next period (August 2008-July 2010).

Additionally, I was selected by ISOC Ambassador Program (www.isoc.org) to participate in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) last November 2007 in Río.


>> Can you share with us how the ISOC Ambassador Program worked for you, and which recommendations you have for people who may be interested to apply for this program for the IGF Cairo in 2009?

ISOC Ambassador Program allow me first of all have the opportunity to experienced IGF Meeting. I haven´t been there before and was great opportunity to start to understand how IGF works. The other important thing was the possibility to know people from other chapters of ISOC sharing the same expectations and ideas.

About recommendations for people who may be interested to apply for next fellowship program, just think how their participation might contribute with next and current activities and how would be the best way to share these experiences with all those people who could not go.

>> What about the current activities?

In this year, I've been participating in the working group organized by National Office of Information Technologies (Oficina Nacional de Tecnología de la Información – ONTI) to analyze the Budapest Convention to the light of local regulation. This working group was integrated by public and private sectors' representatives and the final work is available at www.onti.gov.ar

Finally, I have a radio program by Internet named "Right to Internet" each two-weeks (www.radionexo.com.ar) in which I comment different news of related-interests.

As you can see, I'm involved in lot of activities and my "real passion" is all issues related with security and cyber-crime.


>> Indeed! How does the Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme (IGCBP) fits into this?

First of all, I 'd like to remark the sharing of experiences among other classmates. It was an excellent opportunity to know about not only other regulations but also other "realities". In the first part of the course, specially, the latin-group was really amazing and the people so warm, enthusiastic and good professionals.

All comments and opinions were expressed so respectfully either agreement or disagreements and this apply for first part of the course and for the privacy module.

Secondly, I want to highlight the great work made by my tutors Ginger Paque from Venezuela and Adela Danciu from Romania who knew to maintain the motivation through their comments, inputs and exercises following me up to "work hard" and increase my commitment for performing.

I choose it, because I have a friend who did it last year and gave me good references about that.


>> How is studying remotely with Diplo platform like?

Diplo Platform it's a "pleasure". It's a very good tool to share information, opinions and "virtual meeting point". It was my first time working with this kind of tools and I found very practice.

I think that Diplo spirit is focused on the "community". I mean to extend the networking taking advantage of their platform and the possibility to share spaces with people located in the other point of the world which would be impossible physically. Allows you to know and be known in an easy way.

I hope that all this experience helps me to expand my knowledge, my services and my possibilities to apply all learned in teaching/tutoring.


>> Monica, what are your plans for the future?

Continue consolidating my personal project of consultancy not only regarding services but also from the capacity building prospective as well as continue involving in the Internet community from those aspects which I've been trained for.


>> How can people get in touch with you for exchanging ideas and proposals?

We can be in touch through my professional email: Monica@consultingproject.com.ar or info@consultingproject.com.ar

Or my personal one: moni@abalo-laforgia.com.ar

You can also see my public profile in: http://www.linkedin.com/in/monicaabaloconsultingproject

Here is my profile at the Diplo Community