Internet%20Governance:%20A%20Progress%20Report%20from%20WGIG

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Internet GovernanceA Progress Report from WGIG

• Charles Shaban
• Member of the Working Group on Internet
  Governance
• Executive Director, AGIP Regional Office
• Luxembourg July 10, 2005

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Origin and Mandate of the WGIG

• Established by UNSG pursuant to a request from
  WSIS I
• Investigate and make proposals for action, as
  appropriate, on the governance of the Internet
• Develop a working definition of Internet
  governance
• Identify the public policy issues that are
  relevant to Internet governance
• Develop a common understanding of the respective
  roles and responsibilities of governments,
  intergovernmental and international organizations
  and other forums as well as the private sector
  and civil society from both developed and
  developing countries
• Prepare a report for presentation, consideration
  and appropriate action at the second phase of
  WSIS

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Composition of the Working Group

• 40 members
• Government (17)
• Private sector (8)
• Civil society (13)
• Other (2)
• Chair Nitin Desai
• Executive Secretary Markus Kummer

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Working Methods

• Formal meetings (4)
• Closed working sessions of group
• Brainstorming sessions open to observers
• Structured consultations with stakeholders
• Other inputs
• On line (http//www.wgig.org)
• Informal regional meetings
• Relevant events

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What does WGIG mean by Internet governance?

• Principles, norms, rules, and mechanisms
  whether intergovernmental, non-governmental, or
  multi-stakeholder that make hard or soft
  decisions about
• Issues related to physical infrastructure (i.e.
  ITU-related issues)
• Issues related to logical infrastructure (i.e.
  ICANN-related issues)
• Issues related to use and misuse of the Internet
  (e.g. spam, information and network security)
• Issues with Internet-related aspects, but much
  broader in scope (e.g. IPR, trade, privacy,
  freedom of expression)
• Development-related issues (e.g. human, financial
  and technical capacity-building)

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How to ensure that users needs will be taken
into consideration?

• Multilateral multi-stakeholder
• Solutions will likely vary by issue area, e.g.
• How to improve ICANNs accountability to
  governments?
• How to develop multi-stakeholder, toolkit
  approaches to governing spam and cyber-security?
• How to achieve better coordination between
  Internet community and intergovernmental
  organizations such as ITU, WTO and WIPO?
• How to increase engagement by developing country
  stakeholders in all issue areas?
• Creation of a global multi-stakeholder Internet
  governance forum?

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4th meeting results

• Report ready and sent to the UN Secretary General
• Will be presented in Geneva July 18
• There will be panels to discuss the different
  parts of the report
• Contains Internet Working definition, important
  policy issues, roles of the different
  stakeholders and some models for governance

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• Thank you
• Charles Shaban
• cshaban_at_tagi.com