AW: [governance] Workshop on the role of Government in IG

["Kleinwächter, Wolfgang"]

Bills recollection is right. We tried in the WGIG a whole afternoon in the Chateau to discuss how procedures for interaction among the various stakeholders could be established This discussion failed completly and ended up with this uncomplete list of various roles in para. 30 ff. (see below). 
 
The real problem is not to define the individual role of the individual stakeholder, the problem is how the stakeholderas interact. Is it subordination, domination, master-slave relationship or just peaceful co-existence with non-interference? It is a question of policy development and decision making. And insofar this is also a procedural issue. The general principle is clear: all stakeholders have to be involved and there is something like "equality" (in a more philosophical sense) among the stakeholders which are very unequal. And here is the challenge: How you can develop proceduress for PDP and decision making whichr eflect adequatle the unequal equality. Its it just power? Is it legitimacy? And how you measure power and define legitimacy? What are the sources of legitimacy? Just elections? Market accpetnace? Knowledge and epxertise? At the end it is an issue of redistribution of power. We all are witnessing a great global powershift and this leads unavidable to a new power struggle which has just started. 
 
With other words you are confronted with the very broad issue of a new general governance model in a global world. Insofar ICANN and IGF are good laboratories. In ICANN you have PDPs for various issues and constituencies (CNSO is one example) and you have also procedures for interaction among stakeholders (still weak) like the GAC-Board relationship. This is one reason why I again and again call for more detailed procedures for interation among ALAC and the Board. 
 
But Bertrand is also right, that you need probably for each issue a special procedure. There will be no procedural model which fits to all issues. However each procedure has to be based on certain general principles like bottom up and multistakeholderism. The triangular relationship will look rather different from issue to issue but there will be no balance if the PDP has just one or two corners. There can be "leadership" by one stakeholder with regard to one issue but this leadership has to be embedded into the triangular mechanism of communication, coordination and collaboration (or enhanced cooperation) and needs transparency and accountability. I have labeled this the "Tower of Triangles" where you have for each issue a different constellation among the three main stakeholders, with other groups (including the technical community) involved. 
 
I support very much to have such a workshop and I am sure that we will see also some new developments in the years ahaed with greater maturity of the new constituencies which are just emerging. 
 
Wolfgang
 
"30.     Governments. The roles and responsibilities of Governments include:

        * Public policymaking and coordination and implementation, as appropriate, at the national level, and policy development and coordination at the regional and international levels.

        * Creating an enabling environment for information and communication technology (ICT) development.

        * Oversight functions.

        * Development and adoption of laws, regulations and standards.

        * Treaty-making.

        * Development of best practices.

        * Fostering capacity-building in and through ICTs.

        * Promoting research and development of technologies and standards.

        * Promoting access to ICT services.

        * Combating cybercrime.

        * Fostering international and regional cooperation.

        * Promoting the development of infrastructure and ICT applications.

        * Addressing general developmental issues.

        * Promoting multilingualism and cultural diversity.

        * Dispute resolution and arbitration.

31.     The private sector. The roles and responsibilities of the private sector include:

        * Industry self-regulation.

        * Development of best practices.

        * Development of policy proposals, guidelines and tools for policymakers and other stakeholders.

        * Research and development of technologies, standards and processes.

        * Contribution to the drafting of national law and participation in national and international policy development.

        * Fostering innovation.

        * Arbitration and dispute resolution.

        * Promoting capacity-building.

32.     Civil society. The roles and responsibilities of civil society include:

        * Awareness-raising and capacity-building (knowledge, training, skills sharing).

        * Promoting various public interest objectives.

        * Facilitating network-building.

        * Mobilizing citizens in democratic processes.

        * Bringing perspectives of marginalized groups, including, for example, excluded communities and grass-roots activists.

        * Engaging in policy processes.

        * Contributing expertise, skills, experience and knowledge in a range of ICT policy areas.

        * Contributing to policy processes and policies that are more bottom-up, people-centred and inclusive.

        * Research and development of technologies and standards.

        * Development and dissemination of best practices.

        * Helping to ensure that political and market forces are accountable to the needs of all members of society.

        * Encouraging social responsibility and good governance practice.

        * Advocating for the development of social projects and activities that are critical but may not be "fashionable" or profitable.

        * Contributing to shaping visions of human-centred information societies based on human rights, sustainable development, social justice and empowerment.

33.     Furthermore, the WGIG recognized that the contribution to the Internet of the academic community is very valuable and constitutes one of its main sources of inspiration, innovation and creativity. Similarly, the technical community and its organizations are deeply involved in Internet operation, Internet standard-setting and Internet services development. Both of these groups make a permanent and valuable contribution to the stability, security, functioning and evolution of the Internet. They interact extensively with and within all stakeholder groups.

34.     The WGIG also reviewed the respective roles and responsibilities of existing intergovernmental and international organizations and other forums and the various mechanisms for both formal and informal consultations among these institutions. It noted that there is scope to improve coordination to some extent.

 

 
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