[governance] World Telecom Policy Forum Coming -- Fwd: Comments on Sec Gen WTPF Draft Report

[Seth Johnson (via governance Mailing List)]

The ITU Secretary General has a second draft of the framing
document for the next World Telecom Policy Forum posted here:
https://www.itu.int/en/wtpf-21/Pages/sg-report.aspx

I've pasted comments I put together on the first draft below.

As you may know, a key place to make a constructive contribution to
these international fora is in the preparation of the documents that
define the events' scope.  It would be good to contribute opinions
that address what's meant by sustainability while addressing what
technologies there are that support the notion.

They have on online consultation receiving comments til December 23:
https://www.itu.int/en/consultations/Pages/wtpf-21/consultation-WTPF-21.aspx

It might also be good if some good folks with some kind of
specialization in sustainability could be found to see about joining
the Informal Experts Group for its next meeting in February.


Seth

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Seth Johnson <seth.p.johnson at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2019 17:07:49 -0500
Subject: Comments on Sec Gen WTPF Draft Report
To: "Oates, Daniel M" <OatesDM at state.gov>
Cc: "Gordon, Marian R" <gordonmr at state.gov>

Hi Dan and Marian:

See below my quick comments on the Secretary General's draft:

The Secretary-General's draft report/outline doesn't reference the
Internet as such except in the term Internet of Things and by
reference, as in as contained in the Strategic Plan and various
surrounding documents.

However, the policy discourse in the US is about to embark on a
fargoing examination of issues that will end up talking about how the
Internet supports fundamental rights as opposed to higher layer online
platform environments that are receiving the brunt of policy debate.
This will include the role of the physical layer.

Addressing sustainability and new and emerging technologies should
incorporate reference to these issues rather than technologies like
5G, IoT, OTT.  Maybe big data is more of an issues category.

AI is more about security and accountability and recourse in many
areas than strictly about what can be automated with greater speed and
precision.  Also about accountability and recourse with respect to
accuracy and truth and science.  As a contributor to sustainability,
we should consider AI under the topic of the WTPF, including AI's
sustainability in itself as such, in terms of articulating how to
understand the challenges and opportunities associated with it.

The report should focus more on how to address opportunities,
challenges and policies for sustainable development in relation to
emerging technologies that support sustainability and enable the
transition to the digital economy.  That includes how open Internet
architecture addresses these opportunities and challenges.
    How can the benefits of new and emerging digital technologies be
made more accessible to all?
    ensuring interoperability of technological solutions based on
these emerging technologies to facilitate, among other things, greater
access for all?
    Given the inter-connections or -dependencies in the use and
deployment of such technologies, what is the role that policymakers
can play to foster an enabling environment that creates a holistic and
agile ecosystem to enable sustainable use of new and emerging digital
technologies?
    how does ITU membership envision the role of new and emerging
digital technologies in accelerating sustainable development, keeping
in mind the current and future needs of both developing and developed
countries as well as all segments of the population?

The report should reflect a framework that better admits contributions
that stress these opportunities and challenges in relation to these
and other emerging technology headings rather than suggest an emphasis
on particular technologies given their putative support for
sustainability.

The emphasis should be more on the implications for "infrastructure
needs, investment, regulatory environment, training and skills
development, market environment, institutional cooperation, the role
of development aid, etc." and how the Action Lines and the 17
Sustainable Development Goals are served in light of the enabling
environment's effects on those goals.

The report should reference freedoms of speech, press and association,
privacy, data and consumer protection as challenges and opportunities
that connect to mobilizing technologies for sustainable development.
Other relevant concerns here include:
    sustainability of open infrastructure
    confidence and security both in terms of prevention of harm and in
terms of fundamental liberties as limits on government action in the
name of cybersecurity
    centralized or decentralized approaches to cybersecurity
    sustainability of specialized services and open Internet,
including interoperability
    confidence and security in a platform that supports innovation and
development
    empowerment of end users, digital inclusion, self-determination,
autonomy, independence of communities

There should also be a contributed opinion on how we measure
sustainability, both its development and what's included in those
measures.

Thanks, hope this helps


Seth




On 8/1/19, Oates, Daniel M <OatesDM at state.gov> wrote:
> Good evening colleagues:
>
> I will be coordinating on behalf of USG on preparations for the Sixth World
> Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum 2021 (WTPF-21).