[governance] Egypt and Internet Governance

[Michael Gurstein]

I think that we need to see these as long term processes with multiple
actors, influences, potential outcomes and so on. 

But there would clearly seem to be a need for a statement of principles/code
of conduct with respect to access to/the opportunity to use the means of
communication.  That there will be opposition to such is hardly relevent to
the articulation and civil society agitation in support of such a set of
principles/code. 

That governments or whoever would insist that there were various kinds of
clauses to ensure their ultimate authority in these areas is similarly
irrelevant since as with Human Rights agreements/codes their presence acts
as some sort of standard against which breaches can be measured and
responded to and governments (and the private sector) can be held
accountable.

It is hard to see what in the area of Global Internet Governance could be of
more importance than the setting in place of a process for the formulation
and ratification of such an agreement.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: governance-request at lists.cpsr.org
[mailto:governance-request at lists.cpsr.org] On Behalf Of Norbert Bollow
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 4:27 AM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
Subject: Re: [governance] Egypt and Internet Governance


> In message <20110130113619.A00C915C195 at quill.bollow.ch>, at 12:36:19 
> on
> Sun, 30 Jan 2011, Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch> writes
> 
> >I strongly support pushing for a "code of conduct" of some kind that 
> >incorporates this principle.
> 
> Who drafts it, who signs up, and who polices it?

It could be drafted by some kind of "dynamic coalition" process in the IGF
context.

Unless some countries are interested in creating a formal international
treaty with some kind of enforcement provisions, it would be policed only to
the extent that of course nothing will stop the legislature of any country
from adding the principles of the "code of conduct" to the national laws.

But even if this doesn't happen in any single country, even if following the
"code of conduct" remains, from a legal perspective, entirely voluntary, I
would expect that the document could still have a very significant practical
impact.

Just like many of IETF's RFCs have very significant practical impact even
without them having been formally adopted by any national legislature, or
even by any standardization organization with the kind of formal
international recognition that e.g. ISO has. And there's definitely to
"internet police" to enforce the RFCs.

Greetings,
Norbert ____________________________________________________________
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