[governance] Stating an enabling role for governments

[Garth Graham]

In spite of the infinite space of the debate and my very finite  
capacity to winnow through it, I think I see something essential that  
is missing from the CS [position?] on Internet Governance.  I’m  
puzzled by a fundamental “use” question that, as far as I can tell,  
still isn’t being asked …..

What guarantees will governments provide that the Internet can and  
will continue increase the capacity it has given us to make  
development choices for ourselves?

It’s certainly not addressed in the final report of WGIG, and I can’t  
spot it in any of the CS summary reactions.

The political expectations of governments to “control” the Internet  
miss the point of its essential distributive nature.  Business  
expectations that effective “control” can be left to market economics  
(the US position?) misses the point that sustaining IP is now an  
utterly critical dimension of socio-economic development policy. In  
an Information Society, the IP networks are essential public goods.  
Ensuring access to end-to-end connectivity in those networks is much  
more the responsibility of governments than it is of corporations. In  
effect, changes to Internet Governance must not impede the  
development of the Internet as a commons.

Government policy can enable just as much as it can prohibit.   
There’s nothing to prevent CS from expressing an expectation for  
governments to play a specific role, one that ensures their  
subsequent actions are inclusive, participatory and directed to  
enhancing the Internet’s functional capacity and use.  If we state  
that the role of governments must be defined  primarily by defending  
or increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to make  
development choices themselves, doesn’t that point the way to an  
acceptable middle ground in Internet Governance, and effective public  
policy in the defense of IP?

Garth Graham
Telecommunities Canada
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