[governance] ICANN Delhi, Workshop: Update on Internet

[Suresh Ramasubramanian]

Milton L Mueller [12/02/08 11:38 -0500]:
>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? 

Because it is much more fundamental than petty wrangling about control of
ICANN?  And actually affects real people, real users, to a far larger
extent?

>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

This is actually one of those multi stakeholder things for which you do
need a treaty organization or two involved as well. Cable companies, yes -
but most of the cable now seems owned by just two companies in India (Tata
and Reliance), neither of which are particularly noted for corporate
governance or ethics - especially not Reliance.

You may not want what you're asking for.

>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.

And I am opposing the concept of IGF being subverted into an exclusive
sandlot  for the same petty ICANN politics that have pervaded just about
every other IG related forum for the past few years now.

	srs
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