[governance] EC recommends a "G12" for IG

[Fouad Bajwa]

This proposal also continues the Internet Authoritarianism attempts
and limited control to just a handful. Why not add another G12 of
developing world countries. Government controlled governance isn't a
solution and the impact is already seen at ICANN that in either way
shall still be influenced from whom it has always been influenced.

The equation has to be set to an initial 50/50 where international
observer organizations isn't an issue. It should be equal
participation and intervention otherwise it will have to go through
the overall process that has been taking place since WSIS 2003.

Government representatives continuously change after electoral terms.
In most of the cases, each country continues to change or modify its
stance based on its country level governance. The intention of the IGF
and process to move towards ICANN to be more open cannot be governed
by another third process, I don't see reality in it.

Asia by all means is a huge user and consumer section of the global
internet infrastructure and its participation of multi stakeholders
should not be limited to the view of just government led Internet
Authoritarianism. 3 Asian representatives isn't a justifiable
comparison to two each from North America, South America, Europe or
Africa. In reality, African, Asian and South American regions should
have more representation as the developed world tends to pose
over-pricing to the infrastructure that enables access to the Internet
and the developing world should make its move forward for more control
over decisions that affect it and the ferocious pricing structures
they have to pay that makes access to the Internet unaffordable for
the common man in those countries.

If only the government department of one country has oversight of an
entire internet function which is used by hundreds of millions of
people in countries all over the world, it is not justice both with
the developing and developed worlds. ICANN's global management should
be intervened to take in more people from the developing world
countries so that accountability evolves as a self evolving process.
Its not a matter of who controls the process, ICANN, UN or any other
organization. The issue is equality and equality in distribution of
management between multistakeholders.

I am somehow frustrated how all these discussions and initiatives tend
to forget that the people are both the users and consumers of all this
infrastructure and their right to control and management is as equal
to any other governance model for the Internet. The people's
representative should have been the core of all deliberations in the
first place and somehow companies are taking over influencing
positions even in ICANN, the UN initiated processes especially when
they group up.

This is not an easy process, even claims or proposals like these will
not gain much weight. Intervention and focus should be developed in a
process that is already underway. The IGF is under review this year
and the more strength the multistakeholders show will adequate
concerns, changes will take place.


On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 12:26 AM, Meryem Marzouki <marzouki at ras.eu.org> wrote:
> Viviane Reding recommendation on IG:
> - A fully privatized and independent ICANN
> - Judicial review (complaints) "by a small, independent international
> tribunal" (instead of California court)
> - (Governmental) Oversight by a "G12" (geographically balanced)
> http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/reding/video/index_en.htm
>
> So, progress on multilateral oversight. Business (and when I say business, I
> really mean the business sector) as usual on other issues. IG seems to be
> seen as a consumer issue only.
>
> Enjoy!
> Meryem
>
> --
> Meryem Marzouki - http://www.iris.sgdg.org
> IRIS - Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire
> 40 rue de la Justice - 75020 Paris
>
>
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-- 

Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa
@skBajwa
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