<incom> Workshop on ‘Exploring a Framework Convention on the Internet’

[Soenke Zehle]

IT4Change et al on the 'balkanization of the internet', I know Seatini 
is also holding a workshop, but am not sure about other incom-related 
events, rest of the program here [1], if those who attend could 
post/blog from Athens that would be great, Soenke

[1]<http://www.igfgreece2006.gr/>

UN Internet Governance Forum, Athens , 30th October to 2nd November, 2006

Workshop on ‘Exploring a Framework Convention on the Internet’

1330 to 1500 Hrs, 31st October

Organized by: IT for Change, Bangalore; Hivos, Netherlands; Panos 
institute, West Africa; Third World Institute, Uruguay; and Foundation 
for Media Alternatives, Philippines


The workshop will explore the context, usefulness and possibility of a 
‘Framework Convention on the Internet’, by examining the following 
questions, which will be posed to the panelists and other participants:

1. The WSIS identified the need for, and mandated, the initiation of 
some international processes for developing public policy on Internet 
related issues (see paragraphs 60, 61, 69, 70 and 71 of the Tunis 
Agenda), but since the WSIS, not much has been done in this area. What 
do we think of the importance of the Internet as a key global 
socio-economic infrastructure of the future, and the nature of public 
policy regimes in this regard?  The possible ‘policy regime’ options are:

1. A distributed and largely ‘privatized’ governance regime as at 
present, which, on critical emergent policy matters, may interface with 
national policy regimes in an ad-hoc, fire-fighting, manner.

2. Evolving global public policies regarding the Internet ‘internally’ 
in respective global regimes like the WIPO and the WTO, and specific 
international treaties like those in the area of cooperation on crime, 
in as much as these domains are impacted by the Internet (or vice versa).

3. Laying out broad global public policy principles for the Internet, 
through a new international process, which gives due regard to the new 
realities of a truly global infrastructure and the systems built over it.

2. With frequent references to ‘balkanization’ of the Internet in the 
public discourse today (whether in terms of ‘network neutrality’ like 
economic issues, cultural issues like multilingualism, or issues like 
political restrictions on free flow of information), how important is it 
to save the ‘global public nature of the Internet’ by defining a broad 
global public policy regime for it? How would you comment on the 
hypothesis that – ‘One global public Internet can survive only under one 
(broad) global public policy regime’?

3. What do you have to say on initiating a framework convention kind of 
a process, which incorporates due innovations, especially with regard to 
a greater multistakeholder involvement, for evolving global public 
policy principles for the Internet? What is the appropriateness or 
otherwise of such an institutional form; what are its chances in the 
present and the future context; what are the main bottlenecks, and what 
are the positive signs?

Background Papers:

1.  A Development Agenda for Internet Governance – Call for a Framework 
Convention on the Internet’ at 
http://www.intgovforum.org/Substantive_1st_IGF/A%20Development%20Agenda%20for%20IG%20-%20ITfC.pdf

2. ‘A Framework Convention: An Institutional Option for Internet 
Governance’ at http://www.intgovforum.org/Substantive_1st_IGF/igp-fc.pdf

3. Association for Progressive Communication’s recommendations to WSIS 
on IG at http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs2/pc3/contributions/co103.pdf

________________________________________________

Parminder Jeet Singh
IT for Change, Bangalore
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
Tel: (+91-80) 2665 4134, 2653 6890
Fax: (+91-80) 4146 1055
www.ITforChange.net