[governance] who does "public policy" then?

[Parminder]

I agree that we need to put up real questions up for discussion in IGF.
General topics like access, openness, security, and just do not make for any
productive outcomes at all. After all, we do not go to IGF to get general
information on these topics. We go to have public policy debate on key
issues involving key IG actors. (And therefore we also need subject experts
to moderate discussions, and not journalists. We need to get over this thing
that IGF is for media or even for general public's consumption, if we are to
take the public policy role of IGF seriously.)

 

So, we as representatives of civil society need to ask ourselves, what key
questions about IGC are on people's minds, and impact their lives most. And
then put these questions on the agenda. And if we are honest to ourselves it
is not difficult to see what are these key questions (with some arguments
and adjustments here and there). 

 

I suggested the trilogy of IG public policy issues, ICANN and development
agenda. And, on the first two there seems to be some support here. I agree
with Milton and Jeremy that the main topics should in form of clear
questions.  

 

They could be 

 

(1)   Global public policy for the Internet-- do we need it, who does it and
what is it 

(2)   ICANN - the original idea, its evolution and the its role in the
emerging context 

(3)   What is it at global policy level that really impacts access to
Internet, and through it to the knowledge commons, of disadvantaged people/
groups 

 

These can of course be worded much better. But lets all accept that this is
what the people and constituencies we represent want to know, and want to be
discussed. 

 

And since the powers-that-be wont easily accept these topics, we need to get
together and put  the weight of civil society behind it (for example, it is
easy to get hundreds of cs organizations sign up to the proposal for getting
ICANN discussed at IGF). We need to make it into a clear IGC proposal.. And
with that, if needed, try and force the hand of the establishment.  It may
or may succeed. But we would have done our rightful. We try these topics for
the plenaries, but we also propose IGC sponsored workshops on these topics.

 

Parminder 

________________________________________________

Parminder Jeet Singh

IT for Change, Bangalore

Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities 

Tel: (+91-80) 2665 4134, 2653 6890

Fax: (+91-80) 4146 1055

www.ITforChange.net 

 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Jeremy Malcolm [mailto:Jeremy at Malcolm.id.au]

> Sent: Friday, April 13, 2007 10:59 AM

> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Milton Mueller

> Subject: Re: [governance] who does "public policy" then?

> 

> Milton Mueller wrote:

> > I wonder whether the IGF powers that be would be amenable to having a

> > plenary theme on "global public policy for the Internet-- do we need it,

> > who does it and what is it?" IG does raise policy issues. But the Tunis

> > Agenda claim that "Policy authority for Internet-related public policy

> > issues is the sovereign right of States" is either a meaningless

> > tautology or, in my opinion, wrong and something to be politically

> > resisted. You cannot invoke sovereignty when you are talking about

> > policy for the internet; there are 190 sovereigns and they don't all

> > agree. And there are transnational constituencies with a stake in the

> > Internet's governance. National governments do not and cannot

> > represent them.

> 

> I strongly support this proposal, which is consistent with both our

> previous submission in February (pointing to the need for "a meta

> governance theme" for Rio), as well as with submissions various of us

> have made individually.  Perhaps this can be reinforced in our

> contribution to the May consultations.

> 

> --

> Jeremy Malcolm LLB (Hons) B Com

> Internet and Open Source lawyer, IT consultant, actor

> host -t NAPTR 1.0.8.0.3.1.2.9.8.1.6.e164.org|awk -F! '{print $3}'

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