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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Very astute observations, Parminder. But what prevents such a
globally centralized process from being hijacked by states, or a typical
state-business coalition such as that formed around copyright protection? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>More substantially, I remain of the firm view, expressed
often here, that our best bet is a new global IG policy and supervisory
dispensation, which inter alia replaces US's supervision over the ICANN ( with
ICANN continuing to do all the technical functions it does at present ), and
which is more more open, with multistakeholder participation - a new age body.
I am also of the view that such a body (with the characteristics we want
it to have, or close about ) was more likely at WSIS, more likely in the 2007
than today, still more likely today then it will be the next year, and its
likelihood will keep coming down as time passes and more and more governments
understand the Internet and how to control it.... There may just still be time.
<br>
<br>
The alternatives to what I propose is an emerging IG regime, which is shaping
up right now in front of our eyes, with the following compoments - greater ITU
role, plus ACTA kind of plurilateral treaties undemocratically imposed on less
powerful governments, plus national governments doing arbitrary and ad hoc
controls and regulation over the Internet plus ad hoc GAC's interventions,
without then being based on an clear principles, plus of course US being able
to do anything it wants to the global critical Internet resources whenever it
wants to (see discussions on COICA Bill in the US).<br>
<br>
The best way forward for civil society is to support a global process of
developing general principles for Internet policies, along with new
institutional mechanism to overlook the implementation of these principles and
policies. And it will be best if civil society takes lead in this. That would
our best best way to get as much foot in as possible..... I just keep hoping
one day we will wake up to this imperative :) Parminder <br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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