[governance] Internet Governance news

Tue Aug 22 14:17:20 EDT 2006

======================================
Internet Governance Project Newsletter
======================================
...current events in Internet Governance and the activities of the
Internet Governance  Project.
http://www.internetgovernance.org 

Volume 1.03
August 22, 2006

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Contents
========

[1] ICANN Gets IANA Again, US Keeps Control  [2] IGF Undergoes First
Major Test  [3] IGP  Proposes IGF Workshops  [4] DoC Ignores the Rest of
World [5] Civil Society Converges on  IGF  [6] IGP launches Chinese
website  [7] Net neutrality work at OECD  

=====================================
[1] ICANN Gets IANA Again, US Keeps Control (This is news?) 
=====================================
The US government on Wednesday announced its renewal of the IANA
contract with ICANN for a  one-year period, with an option for four more
years. Many news reports about this event  were inaccurate, confusing
the IANA contract with the Department of Commerce Memorandum  of
Understanding that provides oversight for ICANN's policy making
functions. For an  informed report from IGP on the substance and
significance of this development, click  here.
<http://internetgovernance.org/news.html#ianarenewal_082206>

=======================================
[2] The IGF Undergoes First Major Test 
=======================================

The new Internet Governance Forum's agenda has proven to be so generic
(Openness, Access  Diversity, Security) that no one knows what will
transpire in its Plenary sessions. The  real agenda-setting action will
be in the Forum's parallel "workshops," 90-minute sessions  on
particular topics. The workshop proposals force stakeholder groups to
work together,  and the review and selection of the proposals forces the
IGF to make decisions. Workshops  are thus the first big test of the
viability of the multistakeholder model and the  capacity and
impartiality of the Secretariat and its Advisory Group. There may be
pressure  from some interest groups to avoid certain topics deemed
sensitive or controversial -- but  if the IGF cannot discuss the real
issues of Internet Governance, what is the point of its  existence? The
deadline for Workshop proposals is August 24, and decisions about which 
ones are accepted are expected by mid-September.  

==============================
[3] IGP Proposes IGF Workshops 
==============================

Co-sponsoring with the Government of Brazil and the Third World
Network, IGP has proposed  a Workshop on "New Technical and Policy
Challenges in DNS Root Zone Management." The  workshop will feature two
root server operators (VeriSign and Sweden's Autonomica), an  IETF
DNSSEC expert, developing world governments, and policy analysts. Recent
technical  developments pose a number of new problems for root zone
management that need to be  discussed. The workshop will focus on three
of these issues: 1) the attempt to secure DNS  via DNSSEC; 2) new
applications such as IDNs, IPv6 and ENUM; 3) proposals to multi-
lateralize root zone oversight. IGP is also proposing a workshop on free
expression that  will feature U.S. Ambassador David Gross, civil society
advocacy groups, and governmental  representatives. 

======================================
[4] IGP Campaign on Root Control Shifts Opinion
======================================

A global email campaign by IGP generated comments from 32 countries in
seven regions,  including Asia, Africa, North & South America, the
Caribbean and the Middle East against continued unilateral U.S. control
of the DNS root.  While IGP's official filing offered a detailed
rationale for that position, the IGP website provided a simple means for
individual Internet users to transmit that message to the USG. And
according The Register (UK), half of the comments critical of the USG,
including several from ccTLD operators and others in the technical
community, incorporated the IGP language.  In the final analysis, 87% of
relevant comments received called for transition toward a new model of
governance. However, while public response this lopsided would make any
reasonable public-steward think twice, the DOC recently renewed its
continued authority over the IANA function via ICANN, the key point of
leverage for DNS root control. 

==================================
[5] Civil Society Converges on IGF 
==================================

About 20 members of civil society advocacy groups and several
government representatives  attended a special experts meeting on the
Internet Governance Forum in Geneva July 20-21.  The meeting was
organized by the Consumer Project on Technology, the Third World Network
 and the South Centre. IGP's Milton Mueller and Jeanette Hofmann were
invited participants.  Also among the attendees were IGF MAG member
Robin Gross of IPJustice; Markus Kummer and  Chengetai Masango of the
IGF Secretariat; scholars William Drake and Michael Froomkin;  Yale ISP
Director Eddan Katz; CP Tech director James Love; Georg Greve of the
European  Free Software Foundation; Heather Ford of iCommons; Carlos
Affonso de Souza of iCommons  Brazil. IGP partner Milton Mueller claimed
that the meeting was "the first real strategic  intersection of Internet
governance and A2K (Access to Knowledge) activists." The group  had
fruitful discussions with the IGF Secretariat on the function of the
Forum; e.g., the  difference between "binding" documents and norm
negotiation, and discussing problems vs.  developing solutions
collectively, and on the suitable criteria for submitting papers and 
workshop proposals.

================================
[6] IGP launches Chinese website
================================

The Internet Governance Project announced today that its website is now
available in  Chinese. "We view it essential that one of the world's
largest Internet user community  have access to the global debate on
Internet governance," said IGP Operations Director  Brenden Kuerbis. "In
anticipation of the upcoming Internet Governance Forum, all 
individuals, the private sector and governments must have access to
objective analysis of  issues of freedom of expression, content
filtering, and competition policy surrounding  critical network
resources."  While only providing limited translation at this point, IGP
 plans to publish translations of key papers prior to the Forum.    

===============================
[7] Net neutrality work at OECD
===============================

During the month of September IGP partner Milton Mueller will be in
Paris working as a  visiting scholar at the OECD. He plans to develop a
paper there on the application of WTO  reference paper principles to
Internet interconnection issues. 

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