Re: [ga] ALAC Statement on WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Actions
The bottom line is that this convoluted epistle of double talk is
nothing more than an effort to protect the ICANN monarchy from
interference. "Them them eat cake!"
Just like every self-serving, domineering and tyrannical bad actor in
world history, there will be a time for retribution, restitution and
renaissance and that has always adversely affected the collaborators,
too.
Most of the Internet community has been educated well beyond the eight
grade and, otherwise, have an IQ much higher than a rock. You insult
me, and I suspect most, if not all, of the rest of the community, with
this mockery of reality and truth.
Rhetorically, was this ghost written by Veri$ign or WIPO?
Ladies and Gentlemen, we just need to follow the money . . . .
More importantly, each of us need to make a personal decision about
how much more of this er ____ (you choose the word) we are willing to
take and then make the equally important decision about what to do
about it.
We, as the Internet Community, are the subject matter and the
responsibility is ours. The question is simple - do you want to
control the destiny of the Internet, as it was always meant to be, or
do you want to relent to a self-appointed and self-serving monarchy.
I know my answer. What is yours? . . . and how do we get there? . . .
Doing nothing returns the same value -- nothing!
Thanks,
Wednesday, January 21, 2004, 5:55:46 AM, Vittorio Bertola <vb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
VB> This statement has just been released by the ALAC. Comments or questions
VB> are welcome.
VB> At Large Advisory Committee's Statement
VB> on WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Actions
VB> January 20, 2004
VB> At the World Summit on the Information Society held on December 10 to 12
VB> in Geneva, the member states of the United Nations adopted the Declaration
VB> of Principles and the Plan of Action that include specific language on the
VB> issue of “Internet Governance” (as attached).
VB> ICANN’s At Large Advisory Committee welcomes the fact that these
VB> statements clearly recognize the role of civil society as a full
VB> participant in the international management of the Internet, and bring
VB> attention to the need for a deep involvement of individual users into its
VB> governance.
VB> Specifically, we believe that the technical management of the Internet
VB> should remain as much as possible in the private sector and civil society,
VB> or providers and users of the specific services, and include governmental
VB> participation only as overseer and ultimate guarantor of the public
VB> interest. We are concerned that excessive intervention by governments into
VB> technical Internet operations, in local, regional and international
VB> arenas, might interfere with its smooth and healthy operation, limit
VB> innovation and cause over-regulation, countering the existing workings of
VB> the Internet and the principles that caused its success as a tool to
VB> foster economic development and to increase freedom of communication.
VB> This is why we strongly endorse the idea of a community-driven consensus
VB> that is behind the very existence of ICANN. We would also like to mention,
VB> however, that user participation in ICANN activities has not yet been
VB> given the full attention or support it deserves, and call for further
VB> improvements of the users’ role inside the ICANN framework. This should be
VB> an issue of primary importance in the Internet governance discussions
VB> between now and the second WSIS phase in Tunis, together with other
VB> fundamental items such as increasing ICANN’s international footprint,
VB> internal diversity, and multilingualism.
VB> However, the scope of ICANN activities should remain limited to technical
VB> matters that require world-wide coordination, understanding that in some
VB> areas they cannot be parted from their social and political consequences,
VB> and that these consequences must be considered in the technical
VB> policy-making process. ICANN can be successful only if it focuses on those
VB> issues that it can address. Issues such as the Digital Divide, in-country
VB> competitive and pricing policies, and, more generally, those that pertain
VB> to Internet usage control rather than to Internet technical coordination,
VB> should be left to those fora best-suited to handle them.
VB> The At Large Advisory Committee, as mandated by the ICANN Bylaws, is
VB> currently setting up a practical organizational structure to foster the
VB> representation and participation of Internet users and their civil society
VB> organizations from around the globe. This structure will be based on
VB> Regional At Large Organizations (RALO) that will be constituted in each of
VB> the five ICANN Regions by a set of accredited At Large Structures (ALS),
VB> or civil society groups and organizations who represent different types of
VB> Internet users and different countries of the world. This ambitious
VB> program will create an effective and diverse instrument for participation
VB> to global and regional Internet policy-making processes by all netizens of
VB> the world.
VB> For this reason, we declare our willingness to participate in the
VB> forthcoming multi-stakeholder working group activities organized by the
VB> Secretary General of the United Nations, to channel into these activities
VB> the voices of the global user community on Internet name and address
VB> resource management issues, as mandated by our mission.
VB> Moreover, while pointing out that ICANN-specific issues only constitute a
VB> part of the broader set of issues labeled as “Internet Governance”, we
VB> also think that the experience gathered in these years of ICANN could be
VB> positively used to draft a workable model for the multi-stakeholder
VB> governance of other issues. We want to remain focused on finalizing and
VB> operating an effective user participation mechanism within ICANN, but at
VB> the same time we think we can bring an important contribution to the next
VB> phase of Internet Governance discussions at WSIS.
VB> Finally, we support the Civil Society Declaration, "Shaping Information
VB> Societies for Human Needs", which clearly endorses inclusive
VB> participation, transparency, and democratic accountability and recognizes
VB> the need for “full and effective participation of marginalized
VB> stakeholders like developing and transitional countries, global civil
VB> society organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and individual
VB> users.” This, in the interest of the global network, should be considered
VB> one of the main objectives of any revised structure for Internet governance.
VB> Reference 1
VB> Declaration of Principles of WSIS
VB> Final version as adopted on Dec 12, 2003 in Geneva
VB> 48. The Internet has evolved into a global facility available to the
VB> public and its governance should constitute a core issue of the
VB> Information Society agenda. The international management of the Internet
VB> should be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full
VB> involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and
VB> international organizations. It should ensure an equitable distribution of
VB> resources, facilitate access for all and ensure a stable and secure
VB> functioning of the Internet, taking into account multilingualism.
VB> The management of the Internet encompasses both technical and public
VB> policy issues and should involve all stakeholders and relevant
VB> intergovernmental and international organizations. In this respect it is
VB> recognized that:
VB> policy authority for Internet-related public policy issues is the
VB> sovereign right of States. They have rights and responsibilities for
VB> international Internet-related public policy issues;
VB> the private sector has had and should continue to have an important role
VB> in the development of the Internet, both in the technical and economic
fields;
VB> civil society has also played an important role on Internet matters,
VB> especially at community level, and should continue to play such a role;
VB> intergovernmental organizations have had and should continue to have a
VB> facilitating role in the coordination of Internet-related public policy
VB> issues;
VB> international organizations have also had and should continue to have an
VB> important role in the development of Internet-related technical standards
VB> and relevant policies.
VB> 50. International Internet governance issues should be addressed in a
VB> coordinated manner. We ask the Secretary-General of the United Nations to
VB> set up a working group on Internet governance, in an open and inclusive
VB> process that ensures a mechanism for the full and active participation of
VB> governments, the private sector and civil society from both developing and
VB> developed countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and
VB> international organizations and forums, to investigate and make proposals
VB> for action, as appropriate, on the governance of Internet by 2005.
VB> Plan of Actions of WSIS
VB> C6. Enabling environment
VB> 13. To maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits of the
VB> Information Society, governments need to create a trustworthy, transparent
VB> and non-discriminatory legal, regulatory and policy environment. Actions
VB> include:
VB> a) Governments should foster a supportive, transparent, pro-competitive
VB> and predictable policy, legal and regulatory framework, which provides the
VB> appropriate incentives to investment and community development in the
VB> Information Society.
VB> b) We ask the Secretary General of the United Nations to set up a working
VB> group on Internet governance, in an open and inclusive process that
VB> ensures a mechanism for the full and active participation of governments,
VB> the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed
VB> countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and international
VB> organizations and forums, to investigate and make proposals for action, as
VB> appropriate, on the governance of Internet by 2005. The group should,
VB> inter alia:
VB> i) develop a working definition of Internet governance;
VB> ii) identify the public policy issues that are relevant to Internet
VB> governance;
VB> iii) develop a common understanding of the respective roles and
VB> responsibilities of governments, existing intergovernmental and
VB> international organisations and other forums as well as the private sector
VB> and civil society from both developing and developed countries;
VB> iv) prepare a report on the results of this activity to be presented
for
VB> consideration and appropriate action for the second phase of WSIS in Tunis
VB> in 2005.
VB> c) Governments are invited to:
VB> i) facilitate the establishment of national and regional Internet
Exchange
VB> Centres;
VB> ii) manage or supervise, as appropriate, their respective country code
VB> top-level domain name (ccTLD);
VB> iii) promote awareness of the Internet.
VB> d)In cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, promote regional root
VB> servers and the use of internationalised domain names in order to overcome
VB> barriers to access.
VB> di)
VB> Reference 2
VB> "Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs"
VB> Civil Society Declaration to the World Summit on the Information Society
VB> Unanimously Adopted by the WSIS Civil Society Plenary on 8 December 2003
VB>
(http://wsis-online.net/smsi/file-storage/download/WSIS-CS-Decl-08Dec2003-eng1.htm?version_id=313554)
VB> 2.4.7 Global Governance of ICT and Communications
VB> International "rules of the game" play an increasingly central role in the
VB> global information economy. In recent years, governments have liberalised
VB> traditional international regulatory regimes for telecommunications, radio
VB> frequency spectrum, and satellite services, and have created new
VB> multilateral arrangements for international trade in services,
VB> intellectual property, "information security," and electronic commerce.
VB> At the same time, business groups have established a variety of
VB> "self-regulatory" arrangements concerning Internet identifiers (names and
VB> numbers), infrastructure, and content.
VB> It is not acceptable for these and related global governance frameworks to
VB> be designed by and for small groups of powerful governments and companies
VB> and then exported to the world as faits accomplis. Instead, they must
VB> reflect the diverse views and interests of the international community as
VB> a whole. This overarching principle has both procedural and substantive
VB> dimensions.
VB> Procedurally, decision-making processes must be based on such values as
VB> inclusive participation, transparency, and democratic accountability. In
VB> particular, institutional reforms are needed to facilitate the full and
VB> effective participation of marginalized stakeholders like developing and
VB> transitional countries, global civil society organisations, small and
VB> medium-sized enterprises, and individual users.
VB> Substantively, global governance frameworks must promote a more equitable
VB> distribution of benefits across nations and social groups. To do so, they
VB> must strike a better balance between commercial considerations and other
VB> legitimate social objectives. For example, existing international
VB> arrangements should be reformed to promote: efficient management of
VB> network interconnections and traffic revenue distribution, subject to the
VB> mutual agreement of corresponding operators; equitable allocations of
VB> radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbital slots that fully support
VB> developmental and non-commercial applications; fair trade in electronic
VB> goods and services, taking into account the developing countries' need for
VB> special and differential treatment; an open public domain of information
VB> resources and ideas; and the protection of human rights, consumer safety,
VB> and personal privacy. In parallel, new diverse international arrangements
VB> are needed to promote: financial support for sustainable e-development,
VB> especially but not only in less affluent nations; linguistic, cultural,
VB> and informational diversity; and the curtailment of concentrated market
VB> power in ICT and mass media industries.
VB> In light of the relevant controversies in the WSIS process, special
VB> attention must be given to improving the global coordination of the
VB> Internet's underlying resources. It must be remembered that the Internet
VB> is not a singular communications "platform" akin to a public telephone
VB> network; it is instead a highly distributed set of protocols, processes,
VB> and voluntarily self-associating networks. Accordingly, the Internet
VB> cannot be governed effectively by any one organisation or set of
VB> interests. An exclusionary intergovernmental model would be especially
VB> ill suited to its unique characteristics; only a truly open,
VB> multistakeholder, and flexible approach can ensure the Internet's
VB> continued growth and transition into a multilingual medium. In parallel,
VB> when the conditions for system stability and sound management can be
VB> guaranteed, authority over inherently global resources like the root
VB> servers should be transferred to a global, multistakeholder entity.
VB> The international community must have full and easy access to knowledge
VB> and information about ICT global governance decision making. This is a
VB> baseline prerequisite for implementation of the principles mentioned
VB> above, and indeed for the success of the WSIS process itself. We need
VB> public-interest oriented monitoring and analysis of the relevant
VB> activities of both intergovernmental and "self-governance" bodies
VB> including, inter alia, the International Telecommunication Union, the
VB> World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization,
VB> the United Nations Conference on International Trade Law, the Organization
VB> for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Hague Conference on
VB> International Private Law, the of Europe, the Asia Pacific Economic
VB> Cooperation, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Internet
VB> Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and Wassenaar Arrangement.
VB> As a viable first step in this direction, we recommend the establishment
VB> of an independent and truly multistakeholder observatory committee to: (1)
VB> map and track the most pressing current developments in ICT global
VB> governance decision-making; (2) assess and solicit stakeholder input on
VB> the conformity of such decision-making with the stated objectives of the
VB> WSIS agenda; and (3) report to all stakeholders in the WSIS process on a
VB> periodic basis until 2005, at which time a decision could be made on
VB> whether to continue or terminate the activity.
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Don Brown - Dallas, Texas USA Internet Concepts, Inc.
donbrown_l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.inetconcepts.net
PGP Key ID: 04C99A55 (972) 788-2364 Fax: (972) 788-5049
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