An international conference entitled "Internet Governance: The Way Forward" is being organised by DiploFoundation in co-operation with the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Malta Communications Authority and other international partners, to provide a forum for discussion of the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum.
Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo will open the conference, which will be held at the Radisson SAS Baypoint Resort from Friday to Sunday.
Dr Frendo will also be hosting a reception to launch the publication entitled Multistakeholder Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities.
A precise definition of Internet governance has long been debated and perhaps a simple version does not exist. The report of the Working Group on Internet Governance, published in June 2005, provides the following working definition: Internet governance is the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.
Discussions on Internet governance have been taking place for several years and pre-date the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). To a large extent, global debate on the subject grew in volume due to the technology boom of the late 1990s and the heavy involvement and interest of the ICT private sector in the process. The boom not only suggested the apparent emergence of a new economy but also the enormous social and political transformation power that the Internet and related new technologies could deliver into the hands of citizens around the world.
On November 11, 2004, Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the establishment of the Working Group on Internet Governance. The task of this Working Group was to organise an open dialogue on Internet governance among all stakeholders, and to bring recommendations on this subject to the second phase of the WSIS which was held in Tunis last November.
The WSIS - Tunis resulted in the decision to establish an Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Dignitaries attending the summit endorsed a plan to create a global forum to discuss public policy matters and other issues related to the deployment of the Internet worldwide, under the auspices of the UN. The new IGF, in which participation will not be limited to governments, will be launched early this year, according to the summit resolution.
The IGF must be different from existing international initiatives and organisations. It should accommodate specific working methods and approaches practiced over the years by Internet developers. At the same time, the IGF also has to be linked to existing international policy and legal systems.
The decision taken by parties at the WSIS indicates what the forum should do and who should be involved. However, it remains to be seen how the forum will be organised.
Malta has been participating in negotiations on Internet governance through its diplomatic channels. DiploFoundation, a non-profit organisation based in Malta, has also been active in the discussions on Internet governance. Its director, Dr Jovan Kurbalija, was a member of the Working Group on Internet Governance. Diplo has organised various capacity building and awarenessraising initiatives.
Panellists represent stakeholders who have been active in the IG discussions to date. Some of them include Professor Wolfgang Kleinwäechter (University of Aarhus, Denmark), Dr George Papadatos, (Internet Governance Forum, Greece), Markus Kummer (the Internet Governance Forum and former head of the Secretariat of the WGIG), Ayesha Hassan (International Chamber of Commerce, Paris), Karen Banks (Association for Progressive Communication) and Eskedar Nega (UN Economic Commission for Africa).
The methodology of the conference can be explained through an analogy with the computer game SimCity. While SimCity simulates the building of a city, the conference simulates "building" the Internet Governance Forum. The construction process will be organised through eight panels. Each panel will begin with three to four introductory remarks. Like SimCity, experiences, rules, and existing principles will be taken into account.
The aim of the conference will be to contribute to the IGF process by facilitating an informed and constructive discussion. This will be achieved through the participation of all the major actors in the IG field and by using available knowledge, expertise, and experience as inputs to the policy process. Given Diplo's mission to assist countries with limited human and financial resources to participate meaningfully in international affairs, specific emphasis will be placed on the developmental aspects.
The conference will be of interest to anybody in the fields of ICT policy, law and international relations, academics, NGO representatives from developing countries and international organisations in the field of IG.
For more information or to register send an e-mail to conference@diplomacy.edu