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Internet governance and ICANN
Policy and governance themes surrounding the Internet have been discussed since the global nature of its use and infrastructure have challenged traditional means and understandings of governance and regulation. The themes take many forms: freedom of information and access, content regulation, intellectual property, access, cybercrime, privacy or data protection, the underlying infrastructure, and policies relating to any of these areas. Different approaches, models, and structures have developed to address different areas – coordination, collaboration, and cooperation among all relevant stakeholders being essential to find solutions. These solutions must be built upon, not replaced, in order for the global Internet’s potential to benefit all. The Internet governance discussion The conclusion of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis in 2005 was the culmination of a UN initiative to address issues important for enabling the Information Society for all. One theme, Internet governance, has helped lead to a better understanding of the multiple layers of what makes up Internet use, its infrastructure, and the roles of respective entities and organizations. The WSIS process also resulted in an important working definition of Internet governance, namely ”the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” (1) Where does ICANN fit in? The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit partnership of people from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer – a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we would not have a global Internet where we can find each other. With its limited but important Internet role, ICANN engaged in the WSIS discussions to promote a wider understanding of our responsibilities and to better understand how to continue to improve management in its areas of responsibility. ICANN also participated in the Internet Governance Forum and other discussions with the view that as a global, multi-stakeholder organization responsible for the global coordination of the Internet’s system of unique identifiers, it has a responsibility to engage in local, regional, and international discussions. The Internet will continue to evolve, and ICANN’s multi-stakeholder model will play a major role. It already has in a number of areas: continued growth in the domain name space, the process to introduce new top-level domains, the move towards Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 to increase the number of available domain names, and the continuous strengthening of infrastructure and security measures. The multi-stakeholder approach is important for ICANN’s work, but also for issues not directly related to our responsibilities. For example, without the multi-stakeholder approach, the ability to rapidly respond to, and find future solutions to, attacks or threats to the Internet’s security or stability, as was recently seen in the denial of service attacks, would not be possible. (2) The Internet is constantly evolving – expanding broadband access and Internet-ready mobile devices are only examples of what is coming. Billions of Internet-enabled applications will exist at home and at work. More and more users, using different languages and scripts, will drive more and more multilingual Internet content as they come online. But the underlying job of ICANN and its stakeholders will remain just as important – coordination of the unique identifiers system for the Internet’s continued stable operation, which is the medium upon which these innovations and opportunities can evolve. Conclusion The WSIS process gave everyone involved a better understanding of the importance of coordination, cooperation, and collaboration among all entities sharing responsibility for the Internet’s continued success. What started out as a simple medium in 1969 is now a global tool of knowledge, commerce, and communication limited only by the human imagination. While the temptation may be to create new structures, new oversight mechanisms or governance, the reality is that the Internet is not a traditional medium upon which traditional structures can be applied. For the benefits of this medium to reach all, current and future discussions of issues surrounding Internet governance must build on existing models and engage current and new stakeholders. Without this, one is ignoring the experience and lessons learned that resulted in the global, interoperable Net and where it is today. References: Please send us your comments on this article. |
