A Glimpse at Internet Governance

Last month I travelled to Kenya’s capital Nairobi to attend the 6^th Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Working with the International Chambers of Commerce and private sector members of its BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) initiative, the experience has helped me to understand the role of global business in the international dialogue that has grown up around the Internet. 

Based on an inclusive, multi-stakeholder model, the IGF truly reflects the open spirit of the Internet by giving all parties equal footing in discussion. Each year it attracts government ministers, industry leaders, technologists, academics, IGO’s and members of civil society who come together to hear each other’s perspectives  and share views on how the Internet should be run to better serve as an engine of economic growth and social development.

It was very fitting that this year’s forum was held in Kenya. You only have to look at the meteoric success of the MPesa mobile money transfer service that launched in the country in 2007 to see how technology can empower communities and bring positive change. Broadband Internet connectivity represents the next chapter in the story and is the next great economic and social enabler for the millions of users in Africa and Asia who are beginning to experience its impact. 

In his closing address, Herbert Heitmann, Chair of the ICC’s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms pointed out that as we prepare to welcome the 7 billionth citizen to our planet, the IGF continues to play an important role in developing the Internet in a way that enhances its open spirit and ensures that its benefits are felt by the growing number of users around the world.

I have understood that the Internet exists as it does today as a result of the efforts of all IGF stakeholders – governments, open-minded policy-makers and forward-thinking businesses – in collaborating to give the world its most democratic platform for accessing information, sharing knowledge and expressing opinion.

Many of us are guilty of accepting the Internet at face value, taking its openness and universality for granted. The IGF has served as a poignant reminder for me that the autonomy and freedom offered by the Web is not a foregone conclusion, but a privilege that must be protected into the future.

James