[governance] ICANN Delhi, Workshop: Update on Internet Governance

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Peake [mailto:ajp at glocom.ac.jp] 
> 
> Markus suggests ICT and environment as a possible topic for the Delhi 
> IGF, he mentions comments by Fujitsu's chairman during the Rio 
> meeting (copied below.) This is going to be a key policy issue this 
> year: apparently came up in Davos, will be the subject of two ITU 
> meetings (as Izumi mentioned), a GIIC/WEF meeting, some talk it might 
> find its way into the OECD ministerial and perhaps G8.

I know my cynicism will rankle many, but is this anything more than yet
another attempt to find a "safe" issue (like "access") that is both A)
something no one can really disagree with and B) something the IGF has
utterly no authority to do anything about?  Why is it global IG and what
can UN IGF do about it? 

> I think another pressing issue will be critical physical 
> infrastructure (another cable break, SE Asia last year, Western Asia 
> etc this).

Fine, but let's focus carefully on the global governance issues
associated with physical infrastructure protection. One could make a
case for new international institutions or regimes to protect cables,
but national governments and private carriers have many incentives and
opportunities to improve the reliability and redundancy without them.
What can IGF do about it? Why is IGF needed? Again, I am opposing the
concept of IGF as a pure talk shop that takes up every trendy issue of
the day.

> Last year there was a bit of discussion about what was meant by CIR, 
> perhaps for Delhi we could split CIR as two main themes, one 
> addressing physical resources (cable, power etc) and the other DNS 
> and ICANN (unique identifiers)?

The split is good in that it keeps physical (layer 1) away from "real"
CIR as established in the TA, which is layer 3. But please don't
contribute to the verbal dilution of the CIR concept. If you want to
take about layer 1, talk about physical infrastructure, don't confuse it
with layer 3 CIR. 



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