A free and open internet cannot be taken for granted
Amandeep Gill serves as the U.N. secretary-general's representative on technology, while Vint Cerf was appointed by the U.N. secretary-general to chair the Internet Governance Forum Leadership Panel and played a crucial role in designing the internet's architecture.
The internet is an unparalleled and remarkable global resource that has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Its open, free, secure, and inclusive nature is of utmost importance, as it directly impacts our well-being.
However, the question arises as to how this borderless entity should be governed. Should it be subject to intergovernmental control by U.N. agencies, or should governments delegate its management entirely to the private sector?
In many respects, this is a debatable question. Over the years, a distinctive approach to internet governance has evolved, one that involves all stakeholders and has proven to be effective thus far.
This "multistakeholder" model played a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the internet during the COVID-19 crisis, when an unprecedented number of people, approximately 1.7 billion, came online for the first time.
The United Nations established the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in 2005 to enshrine collaborative multistakeholder governance of the online world. In this forum, governments, the private sector, civil society, and the internet technology community convene on equal footing to discuss governance policies. Complementing the IGF are independent technical platforms such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which focus on determining technical aspects of internet protocols, addresses, and registries.
For over three decades, this approach has proven successful, navigating various geopolitical challenges and changes.
As the internet continues to expand, accommodating more users and services, we must be prepared to adapt to new challenges while preserving the multistakeholder approach to internet governance.
In 1991, the internet had less than 4 million users, predominantly in North America, East Asia, and Western Europe. Today, there are 5 billion users worldwide, spread across numerous regions.
However, much work remains to connect the billions of people still offline, particularly those residing in developing countries and rural areas. Equally crucial is the need to protect users from online harms and empower them to fully participate in the digital economy.
In a few days, representatives from civil society, the technology community, the private sector, governments, and international organizations will convene in Kyoto for the annual IGF meeting.
The host nation, Japan, has aptly chosen the theme of empowering all people through the internet. As the chair of the G7 AI Hiroshima Process, Japan also leads discussions on the governance of artificial intelligence.
Digital discussions will converge again in September at the U.N. Summit of the Future. The summit aims to establish a proposed Global Digital Compact that outlines the global community's shared vision for an open, free, secure, and sustainable digital future for all. The input gathered from the multistakeholder community at the Kyoto meeting will play a crucial role in shaping this compact.
As the digital governance landscape evolves to address emerging challenges and opportunities, including the rise of powerful AI models, it is essential that internet governance objectives and actions continue to be led by organizations such as the IGF, ICANN, and IETF. These institutions' apolitical nature and functioning provide a safeguard that the world cannot afford to lose.
In a recent comprehensive policy paper, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of protecting the global nature of the internet and its underlying physical infrastructure. He underscored the need to provide increased support to the internet's long-established multistakeholder institutions.
To enhance and elevate the work of the Internet Governance Forum, the secretary-general has assembled a leadership panel. We are honored to be part of this panel, alongside esteemed colleagues such as Maria Ressa, a Nobel laureate recognized for her work on freedom of expression, as well as ministers, technical experts, and industry leaders from around the world.
At the Kyoto meeting, our panel will present a vision for the internet, encouraging multistakeholder debate and consultation. Our goal is to shape a human-centric internet that upholds human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, while safeguarding against harmful behavior.
Furthermore, we must prioritize strengthening cybersecurity to create a safe and secure online environment. Additionally, we must harness the value of data for development, institute data free flow with trust, and ensure data protection and privacy in order to support a truly global digital economy.
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