The Internet Governance Forum’s annual meeting provides an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders to discuss policy issues related to Internet management. The forum emerged out of the United Nations’ World Summit of the Information Society in 2005, when there was an unsuccessful push by some countries to transfer some of the responsibilities for running the Internet from ICANN to the U.N.’s International Telecommunication Union.
While the IGF is focused on policy discussions and does not issue any formal recommendations, there will be some discussion of the proposals that could emerge at the International Telecommunication Union’s World Conference on International Telecommunications in December. Governments from around the world will meet at the ITU conference in Dubai to consider changes to international telecommunications treaties. U.S. government officials and business leaders have voiced concern that some countries may push for changes at the ITU conference that could lead to more regulation of the Internet.
ICANN uses the IGF to reach important stakeholders. It relies on the trust and support of governments and industry around the world.
ICANNs’ new CEO Fadi Chehadé and other ICANN officials will be at the IGF meeting and will help lead discussions related to the domain name system.
“The IGF meeting in Baku will afford us a fantastic opportunity to talk further with the broad Internet community about our global stakeholder engagement initiatives,” Chehadé said in a statement this week. “It also allows us a chance to work hand-in-hand with other key organizations in the Internet ecosystem.”
I think that the “powers that be” are getting just a little nervous about maintaining their power over the internet and will be doing whatever they can to maintain that power for years to come.
Thanks to Juliana Gruenwald and the National Journal, and
Thanks for “listening”
Howard
The Neu Facebook
