[governance] Draft statement on Nairobi meeting programme

[parminder]

Jeremy,

Thanks for this framing. Largely works for me. However, I prefer the use 
of the term or topic 'Network Neutrality on wired and wireless 
networks'. A couple of reasons for that. Outside the US the NN term is 
the one most clearly recognized, and used in telecom policy related 
discussions. For that matter, in EU too , NN is the recognised term, and 
the CoE expert group on cross border issues has 'cross border NN' as one 
of its main themes.

Using the term open Internet also has the disadvantage of the discussion 
getting too defocussed over the umbrella theme of 'openness' at it got 
discussed in the earlier IGFs. Quite regrettably, many of those who do 
not want NN like themes to be taken up seriously at the global policy 
level use various kinds of thematic obfuscation to avoid meaningful 
discussion on this theme. We should avoid that trap. The issues around 
NN are rather clear today, and that is the clear discussion we want.

Also IGC and others have held workshops on NN in the earlier IGFs, and 
theses efforts background taking up NN as a plenary theme. For all these 
reasons I think we shd stick to NN rather use the term 'open internet' 
though I completely understand Lee's arguments in this regard.

Parminder


Jeremy Malcolm wrote:
> Here (and at http://www.igcaucus.org/digress.it) is a statement based 
> on the suggestions for the Nairobi meeting programme.  I have tried to 
> incorporate everything, so if I missed your suggestion please let me 
> know.
>
> Because we generally only put forward three topics, I have not 
> included A2K as a separate theme, but instead have expressly included 
> it in each of the other three themes.
>
> --- begins ---
>
> For the Nairobi 2011 meeting of the IGF, the Internet Governance 
> Caucus suggests the following main session themes:
>
> *1. Open **Wired and Mobile **Internet*
>
> Open Internet describes an ideal in which the openness of the Internet 
> to the broadest possible range of commercial and non-commercial 
> content, applications and services is maintained.  An open Internet is 
> one that supports development, promotes Access to Knowledge, and 
> resists perpetuating the power of old media and telecommunications 
> empires on the new network.
>
> With the explosion of Internet usage in the developing world mainly 
> occurring on mobile networks, it is particularly important to consider 
> how the ideal of open Internet will apply in the mobile space.  Should 
> different rules apply for mobile and wired Internet networks?  If so, 
> how can communications rights and Access to Knowledge be preserved for 
> those users, in order to avoid an ongoing information divide?
>
> In proposing this topic for the Nairobi IGF, we want to particularly 
> ensure that it does not shy away from areas of disagreement.  Only by 
> including panelists with divergent views on this topic can the very 
> real and practical Internet governance disputes in this area be 
> adequately and productively aired.
>
> *2. Cross border Issues*
>
> One of the oldest and thorniest issues for Internet governance 
> concerns the cross-border effects of national laws, policies, 
> enforcement practices, and the actions of intermediaries, on those who 
> have had no representation in the making of those laws, policies, etc. 
>  Current examples include actions taken by governments and 
> intermediaries against Wikileaks, and the "seizure" of domain names 
> alleged to be connected with content piracy.
>
> The process towards enhanced cooperation on Internet policy issues 
> could lead to new proposals that would address some of these 
> cross-border anomalies and deficits.  But at this stage of that 
> process, there is little shared understanding of the approach that 
> should be taken.  This session will look at the philosophical 
> underpinnings and foundations that need to emerge in a world where 
> something like the Internet transcends boundaries and national 
> jurisdictions.  Insights produced through this session may feed into 
> the enhanced coperation process.
>
> Once again, it will be important for discussion of this topic to 
> involve stakeholders with diverging views, discussing concrete issues 
> that demand eventual resolution.
>
> *3. Development agenda for Internet governance*
>
> Internet governance is not a neutral activity. All Internet governance 
> decisions have implications for development, though in some cases 
> these implications may be less obvious than in others, and they are 
> easily overlooked.
>
> An example is the way in which decisions about such diverse issues as 
> new global top level domains (gTLDs), Unicode, IP enforcement, 
> filtering and censorship, may have an adverse and sometimes unforeseen 
> impact on Access to Knowledge in the developing world.
>
> We propose a main session theme on developing a development agenda for 
> Internet governance, building on the similar session in Vilnius.  This 
> session will help to draw out areas of Internet governance which have 
> significant impacts on development, and to suggest how development 
> concerns can be mainstreamed in Internet governance institutions that 
> have responsibility in these areas.
>
> --- ends ---
>
> If you want to make paragraph-level comments, you can do so on the 
> list or you can do so at http://www.igcaucus.org/digress.it, our 
> Web-based tool which allows for threaded comments on each individual 
> paragraph.  I will summarise back here at the end.
>
> In other news... you may now edit your profile at 
> http://www.igcaucus.org to include additional optional fields - 
> previously those who tried to do this received an "LDAP error".  Other 
> than this, I don't have any more new progress to report on the Web 
> site yet.
> -- 
>
> *Jeremy Malcolm
> Project Coordinator*
> Consumers International
> Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East
> Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, 
> Malaysia
> Tel: +60 3 7726 1599
>
> *
> *Empowering Tomorrow’s Consumers 
> CI World Congress, 3-6 May 2011, Hong Kong*
> Businesses, governments and civil society are invited to join consumer 
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> for four days of debate and discussion on the issues that matter most 
> to consumers. *Register now!*
> _http://www.consumersinternational.org/congress_
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> *
>
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>

-- 
PK

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