[governance] Political Oversight of ICANN

[McTim]

hello Parminder,

apologies for the lateness of my reply:

On 11/2/05, Parminder <Parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:

<lots of text snipped and not commented upon>

> The other problem which is as big is that
> this option contemplates that a major global governance issue will be
> entirely 'privatised'.

Not really privatised as in Private Sector, but privatised as in CS. 
ICANN is an NGO, as are many of it's constituents.  Are businesses
involved, of course, as they should be, since they are as concerned
with resource administration as the rest of us.

>
> This is too great a leap of faith.

There is no faith needed, one just has to look at how well it has worked.
You would, however, need a leap of Faith to entrust oversight to
"multigovernmentalism".

> elaboration will require a theoretical analysis), except to say that this is
> neither desirable nor practical.

I see it as both (desirable AND practical).  In addition, I think the
very rough consensus of the caucus is this "status quo minus"
position.  I understand you are concerned that folk who haven't been
involvd in the IG Caucus aren't having their views heard.

If they want their views heard, they can join the list and speak up. 
If I want my voice heard in the Gender Caucus, I would join that list
and speak up!!

> The obvious issues of representative-ness,
> legitimacy etc stare in our face.

Yes, they do.  What is more representative and legitimate in your eyes:

1.  Being able to directly participate on an equal plane with
governments, PS, and other CS entities/individuals in a truly
multistakeholder IG mechanism

or

2. Being a spectator on the sidelines of a UN anchored (ITU/UNESCO) mechanism.

<snip>

> I know that existing UN bodies may not be appropriate to take up IG
> functions, but it is also obvious that for global legitimacy the IG
> oversight MUST anchor in the UN.

It's a network of networks. IMO the only legitimate "narrow oversight"
can come from network operators and users of those networks.

>
>
> IG is an important issue at Tunis, and CS needs to take clear, principled
> and yet workable positions on this. Every option including the status quo
> has its problems. For too long different fears have paralysed us into
> inaction – but 'politics is the art of the possible' and we need to clearly
> choose what we will like the Summit to do on this matter.

I'm afraid that what you want is not "possible" given the US position.

> This concept of 'internet
> community' as consisting of actual Internet users itself is problematic. It
> may have been valid in the nineties. But today Internet impacts everyone,
> and the entire world's population has a great stake in the Internet. )

And they are welcome to participate in it's governance as individuals.
They won't, by and large, but that decision is up to them.

>
>
> And the proposal of leaving things to a 'reformed ICANN' without any other
> oversight mechanism cannot be justified

It can, if it is the optimal solution path, which it is IMO.

> – we certainly are speaking of practical solutions
> in the framework of what can/should happen at
> the Tunis summit itself.

We have 2 days to finish Prepcom3 in Tunis, then the rest is just
ceremonial fluffery.

Do you honestly think the UN can come up with an integovernmental plan
in the 2 days we have left?

Even if they did, the USA wouldn't sign on to it,
so it would never be implemented.

>
>
> Now with EU taking on this position, it leaves only the US (with one or two
> die-hard supporters), the business sector and a good part of the CS engaging
> with IG issues on one side, and the rest of the global actors on the other.
> This kind of situation generally doesn't happen. And we also need to examine
> what it really means?

It means that these people recognise that the current system works
pretty well, and there is no sense in rocking the boat too much at
this point in time.

--
Cheers,

McTim
nic-hdl:      TMCG
"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In
practice there is"
Yogi Berra

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