Working Group on Internet Governance
Encyclopedia
The Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) was a United Nations
multistakeholder Working group
initiated after the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) first phase Summit in Geneva to agree on the future of Internet governance
.
The first phase of World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) agreed to continue the dialogue on Internet Governance in the Declaration of Principles and Action Plan adopted on 12 December 2003, to prepare for a decision at the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis during November 2005. In this regard, the first phase of the Summit requested the United Nations Secretary-General to establish a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG).
The main activity of the WGIG was "to investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the governance of Internet
by 2005." The WGIG was asked to present the result of its work in a report "for consideration and appropriate action for the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis
2005."
It was asked, inter alia, to deal with the following issues:
- 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, existing international organizations and other forums as well as the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed countries.
A few weeks before the release of the WGIG Report the U.S. reiterated its claim of ICANN
and stated that it wished to "maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file" http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/15/un_wgig_report/.
, and the executive coordinator was Markus Kummer.
The 40 official members are listed in the final report; in addition, there were many people attending the meetings to contribute their views.
. These proposals all include the introduction of an open Multi-stakeholder based Internet Governance forum to give greater influence to the stakeholders around the world, including civil society, private sector and governments. Each model also included different strategies for the oversight role, currently held by the United States Department of Commerce.
The proposed models were:
or monitor their citizens more effectively (EFF on Internet Governance).
Fears that increased "governance" will bring with it more regulation and fees have been expressed. IT experts have expressed doubts that a U.N. body that does not necessarily know enough about the Internet will effectively coordinate the Internet technologically. The director of ICANN has expressed concerns that some of the changes proposed represent a government-focused "top-down" philosophy, and that this is incompatible with the current "bottom-up" structure of the Internet mandated by US policy. The U.S Government's negotiating position in Tunis Prepcom 3 was flexible on the principle of global involvement, very strong on the principle of multistakeholder participation, but inflexible on the need for US control to remain for the foreseeable future in order to ensure the "security and stability of the Internet". This generally showed itself in U.S. support for proposals allowing other governments to have a larger role in the management of their ccTLDs, but no change to the management or control of the root zone file.
The majority of stakeholders want to avoid a politicisation of the Internet, and some consider the effort of the WGIG as launching a set of alien and dangerous terms and ideas. Others believe that it has been an important forum for discussion of the often contentious issue of Internet Governance, as well as a model for multistakeholder cooperation.
Some feel that either of the alternatives is better: a division of the Internet or a defense of the status quo. The United States has traditionally considered its function as a defender of citizens' rights worldwide, which is one reason it wants to keep the Internet free for private individuals rather than overly regulated by governments or international organisations. Some of the options presented in the WGIG Report may be seen by some as too government-oriented, while one option reflects the status quo, and may be seen as being too US-centric.
The final agreements reached in Tunis The Tunis Agenda (paras 29-82 concern Internet Governance) and the Tunis Commitment include the formation of the Internet Governance Forum. No agreement was reached on the oversight function.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
multistakeholder Working group
Working group
A working group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers working on new research activities that would be difficult to develop under traditional funding mechanisms . The lifespan of the WG can last anywhere between a few months and several years...
initiated after the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society
World Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
(WSIS) first phase Summit in Geneva to agree on the future of Internet governance
Internet governance
Internet governance is the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet...
.
The first phase of World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) agreed to continue the dialogue on Internet Governance in the Declaration of Principles and Action Plan adopted on 12 December 2003, to prepare for a decision at the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis during November 2005. In this regard, the first phase of the Summit requested the United Nations Secretary-General to establish a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG).
The main activity of the WGIG was "to investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the governance of Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
by 2005." The WGIG was asked to present the result of its work in a report "for consideration and appropriate action for the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
2005."
It was asked, inter alia, to deal with the following issues:
- 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, existing international organizations and other forums as well as the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed countries.
A few weeks before the release of the WGIG Report the U.S. reiterated its claim of ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
and stated that it wished to "maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file" http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/15/un_wgig_report/.
Membership
The chair of WGIG was Nitin DesaiNitin Desai
Nitin Desai is an Indian economist. He was Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations from 1997 to 2003.-Early life and academic career:...
, and the executive coordinator was Markus Kummer.
The 40 official members are listed in the final report; in addition, there were many people attending the meetings to contribute their views.
View of Internet governance
The report of the WGIG divided Internet Governance into four sections:- InfrastructureInfrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
(mainly the Domain Name SystemDomain name systemThe Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
and IP addressIP addressAn Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
es) - Internet issues such as security, safety and privacy (including spamSpam (electronic)Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
and cybercrimeCyberCrimeCyberCrime was an innovative, weekly America television program on TechTV that focused on the dangers facing computer users. Filmed in San Francisco, California, the show was hosted by Alex Wellen and Jennifer London...
) - Intellectual property and international trade (including copyrightCopyrightCopyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s) - Development Issues (particularly developing countries)
Proposals
Four options for the management of Internet-related public policy issues were proposed in the Final Report of the WGIG, finalised during their fourth meeting, and presented to stakeholders on 18 July 2005 in preparation for the November 2005 meeting in Tunis, TunisiaTunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. These proposals all include the introduction of an open Multi-stakeholder based Internet Governance forum to give greater influence to the stakeholders around the world, including civil society, private sector and governments. Each model also included different strategies for the oversight role, currently held by the United States Department of Commerce.
The proposed models were:
- Create the Global Internet Council (GIC) consisting of governments and involved stakeholders to assume the U.S. oversight role of ICANN.
- Ensure that ICANNs Governmental Advisory Committee is an official forum for debate, strengthening its position by allowing for the support of various governments.
- Remove the U.S. oversight of ICANN and restrict it to the narrow technical role, forming the International Internet Council (IIC) to manage most aspects of the Internet administration.
- Create three new bodies:
- The Global Internet Policy Council (GIPC) to manage "internet-related public policy issues"
- The World Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (WICANN) to take over from ICANN
- The Global Internet Governance Forum (GIGF), a central debating forum for governments.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 2003 | WSIS meeting in Geneva |
| 21 September 2004 | WGIG formed |
| 23 November 2004 – 25 November 2004 | First meeting |
| 14 February 2005 – 18 February 2005 | Second meeting |
| 18 April 2005 – 20 April 2005 | Third meeting |
| 14 June 2005 – 17 June 2005 | Fourth meeting – finalisation of the WGIG Report |
| September 2005 | Prepcom3 - Negotiation on Internet Governance |
| November 2005 | WSIS Phase II Summit meeting in Tunis – Agreement signed to create the Internet Governance Forum |
Analysis
Some critics have hinted that the idea that the world's countries require a more "equal" say in Internet governance, masks the desire by some governments to conduct censorshipCensorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
or monitor their citizens more effectively (EFF on Internet Governance).
Fears that increased "governance" will bring with it more regulation and fees have been expressed. IT experts have expressed doubts that a U.N. body that does not necessarily know enough about the Internet will effectively coordinate the Internet technologically. The director of ICANN has expressed concerns that some of the changes proposed represent a government-focused "top-down" philosophy, and that this is incompatible with the current "bottom-up" structure of the Internet mandated by US policy. The U.S Government's negotiating position in Tunis Prepcom 3 was flexible on the principle of global involvement, very strong on the principle of multistakeholder participation, but inflexible on the need for US control to remain for the foreseeable future in order to ensure the "security and stability of the Internet". This generally showed itself in U.S. support for proposals allowing other governments to have a larger role in the management of their ccTLDs, but no change to the management or control of the root zone file.
The majority of stakeholders want to avoid a politicisation of the Internet, and some consider the effort of the WGIG as launching a set of alien and dangerous terms and ideas. Others believe that it has been an important forum for discussion of the often contentious issue of Internet Governance, as well as a model for multistakeholder cooperation.
Some feel that either of the alternatives is better: a division of the Internet or a defense of the status quo. The United States has traditionally considered its function as a defender of citizens' rights worldwide, which is one reason it wants to keep the Internet free for private individuals rather than overly regulated by governments or international organisations. Some of the options presented in the WGIG Report may be seen by some as too government-oriented, while one option reflects the status quo, and may be seen as being too US-centric.
The final agreements reached in Tunis The Tunis Agenda (paras 29-82 concern Internet Governance) and the Tunis Commitment include the formation of the Internet Governance Forum. No agreement was reached on the oversight function.
See also
- ICANNICANNThe Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
(Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) - International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication UnionThe International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) - Internet SocietyInternet SocietyThe Internet Society or ISOC is an international, nonprofit organization founded during 1992 to provide direction in Internet related standards, education, and policy...
(ISOC) - Internet Governance ForumInternet Governance ForumThe Internet Governance Forum is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. It brings together all stakeholders in the internet governance debate, whether they represent governments, the private sector or civil society, including the technical and academic...
(IGF)
External links
- World Summit on the Information Society official site
- "WGIG Public Meeting considers Role of GAC in ICANN" at ICANNwatch.org
- EFF on Internet Governance
- "Whose net is it anyway?" at BBC News.