[governance] India Proposes Government Controlled Internet

[Norbert Bollow]

Jeremy Malcolm <jeremy at ciroap.org> wrote:

> Better to go to the source, for more details and less hyperbole - such
> as the fact that India is requesting a working group of the CSTD to draw
> up the detailed terms of the proposed new body.
> 
> See http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/gaef3319.doc.htm.

Here is the relevant part of the document in full:

  Brazil’s representative pointed to significant progress since the
  Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, pointing
  to the expansion in the use and development of information and
  communications technology, as well as the greater consideration
  accorded its role in formulating broader public policies globally.
  However, much more needed to be achieved, he said, underscoring the
  essential importance of overcoming the digital divide through
  policies that would ensure that all Member States benefited from
  instant networking, free or low-cost access to information,
  education and cultural goods, and the promotion of cultural
  diversity.

  India’s representative reinforced that point, calling for the
  establishment of a new institutional mechanism within the United
  Nations for global Internet-related policies.  The goal of the
  proposed "United Nations Committee for Internet-Related
  Policies" would not be to control the Internet but to ensure that it
  was governed in an open, democratic, inclusive and participatory
  manner, he said.  It would take on the task of developing
  international public policies to ensure coordination and coherence
  in cross-cutting Internet-related global issues while addressing
  Internet-related developmental issues, among others.

To me this doesn't sound terribly bad, even though (like everything
else) this could become bad quickly if implemented badly. For
example, I think that there's a significant risk of "copyright
industry" special interests gaining undue influence on the policy
debates in such a Committee.

Greetings,
Norbert
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