Internet Governance Project

Upcoming Events

CLEC: "Network Neutrality and the reform proposals for the electronic communications sector"
17 April, 2008
15:30-20:00
Brussels, Belgium
Program [pdf]

Milton Mueller will be the opening speaker at this seminar, held in conjunction with the annual ISPA-Belgium meeting, which intends to analyse the contentious issues related to network neutrality in the context of the EU reform of the ECNS regulatory framework.

OECD: Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy
17-18 Jun, 2008
Seoul, Korea
Website [html] | Program [html] | Registration [html]

GigaNet Workshop: "Global Internet Governance: An Interdisciplinary Research Field in Construction"
23 June, 2008
Paris, France

The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) invites you to participate in a scholar workshop to be held during the upcoming ICANN meeting in Paris, France, on the morning of June 23rd. This workshop is organized in cooperation with two main French pluridisciplinary networks of scholars in Internet-related studies: the ICT and Society (GDR TICS) and Electronic Democracy (DEL) Networks.

The purpose of the workshop, the first of its sort, is to allow scholars involved in Internet Governance-related research to describe their ongoing research projects to other scholars in the field, in order to share ideas, forge possible collaborations, and identify emerging research themesin the field. Scholars from various academic disciplines and all regions of the world are welcome to contribute to this reflexive exercise, with the long-term objective of collectively building this interdisciplinary research field.

What is global Internet governance and what it is not? Are there any differences in the way this process is understood, defined and implemented in different regions of the world? Is it sensitive to political and cultural backgrounds and traditions, and if so, to which extent and in which ways? How is Internet governance different from, and related to, global governance of other information and communication technologies? What could be the invariants of a global governance process, irrespective of the domain area it addresses? What are the national and regional projects and networks currently pursuing research on Global Internet Governance? Is there any academic syllabus or other education program dedicated to these issues? These are among the many questions to be discussed by the workshop participants.

Please send to the workshop organizing committee chair, Meryem Marzouki (Meryem.Marzouki[at]lip6.fr) by April 15, 2008, your name, affiliation, e-mail address and CV along with no more than 500 words describing your ongoing projects. Rather than featuring academic paper presentations, the workshop aims at providing a survey of current academic activities in the field of global Internet governance. Invitees selected by the organizing committee for participation at round-table discussions will be notified by May 15, 2008.

Attendance to the workshop is free and open to all interested parties.

Organizing Committtee:

Eric Brousseau (GDR TICS), U. Paris X,France; Divina Frau-Meigs (GigaNet),U. Paris III, France; Nanette Levinson(GigaNet), American U., USA; Meryem Marzouki(GigaNet), CNRS, France; Milton Mueller (GigaNet), Syracuse U.,USA; Thierry Vedel (DEL), CNRS, France; Rolf Weber (GigaNet),U. Zürich, Switzerland.

Call For Papers: Third GigaNet Annual Symposium
2 December, 2008
Hyderabad International Conference Center (HICC)
Hyderabad, India
Call For Papers [pdf] [html]

The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) is a scholarly community that promotes the development of Internet governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study and facilitates informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.

Each year, GigaNet organizes a one-day research symposium in conjunction with the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and in the same premises. After the first two editions in Athens, Greece (October 2006) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November 2007), the third GigaNet Annual Symposium will be held on December 2, 2008, in Hyderabad, India, the day before the 3rd IGF meeting. Attendance at the Symposium will be open to all and free of charge. The Symposium will be at the same location as the IGF and registration with the UN as an IGF participant may be necessary to gain entry to the building.

This is a call for papers from scholars interested in presenting an original research paper at the conference.

Important dates:

15 July 2008: abstract submission deadline (to be sent to: Meryem.Marzouki@lip6.fr)
15 September 2008: notification to applicants
10 October 2008: full papers due
15 October 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium program finalized
2 December 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium, HICC, Hyderabad, India

Submission topics:

In addition to papers on methodological aspects of Internet governance-related studies, this year's Symposium particularly encourages submissions on the following themes, which are described in more detail below:

1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains
2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance
3. The Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance
4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact
5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance
6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control
7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel?

Submission requirements:

Applicants should submit: 1) an abstract of 800-1000 words, in English, of the proposed paper that describes the main research question(s), methods employed, and the paper's relevance and value to the thematic area; and 2) a one page summary curriculum vitae listing in particular the applicant's current institutional affiliation(s), advanced degrees, scholarly publications relevant to Internet governance, and web sites, if available.

Submission materials should be emailed directly to the chairperson of the 2008 Program Committee, Dr. Meryem Marzouki, at Meryem.Marzouki[at]lip6.fr by no later than July 15, 2008, midnight GMT.

Members of the 2008 program committee will review submissions according to the same criteria. In order to ensure fairness of the evaluation process, submissions that do not conform to the requested format will not be considered.

The Program Committee will notify applicants of its decisions via email by September 15, 2008.

A full paper upon which oral or poster presentation will be based must be delivered to the same address by October 10, 2008, midnight GMT in order for the author(s) to be included in the program.

While GigaNet asserts no copyright to authors' work, it is expected that the version of the paper presented orally or as poster will be made available for posting on the GigaNet website.

Travel scholarships for a few outstanding accepted papers may be available for scholars who would otherwise be unable to attend. Applicants who are accepted will be informed of these opportunities after September 15.

2008 GigaNet Symposium Program Committee:

Ana Abreu, Labeurb/Unicamp and Paulista University, Campinas (SP), Brazil
Slavka Antonova, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Meryem Marzouki, LIP6/PolyTIC-CNRS Laboratory, Paris, France (Chair)
John Mathiason, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse (NY), USA
Milton Mueller, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, Syracuse (NY), USA
Max Senges, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Rolf H. Weber, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

Topics Description:

1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains
The concept of global governance has flourished in a number of fields: trade, security, environment, development -- as well as Internet. However, most general analyses of global governance ignore global Internet governance. Conversely, very few Internet governance analyses are conducted through comparative frameworks. Submissions are invited to help frame Internet governance in a broader, global governance perspective. What could be learnt from experiences of global governance in other fields? Are there any general instruments and methods of global governance, irrespective of the domain area it addresses? Could some similarities or invariants of a global governance process be identified?

2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance
The global policy discourse on Internet governance involves more diverse actors and newly created institutions. There is a need to explore the dynamics of this changing institutionalization process through theoretical and empirical analysis. Recent work explores network forms of organization in political and governance contexts, at national and international levels, most notably with the concept of "transgovernmental networks" to solve sector-specific problems. We call for papers that apply, test and criticize ideas of "networked governance" in the context of global Internet governance. We encourage submissions that analyze collaborative policy-making in related institutions and interactions between them. We are especially interested in papers that critically analyze these forms of governance in terms of fairness and accountability and their relationship to democratic principles. Can presently excluded or minority communities enhance their participation? Beyond the expert discourse and the interplay amongst dedicated stakeholders, can networked governance represent people, rather than just established interests and agencies? What are the available tools and practices to facilitate their participation and deliberation, in terms of discourse, collaboration and decision-making?

3. Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance
Important but subtle transformations have occurred in the role and participation of non-governmental and non-business actors in the 6 years since the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). WSIS witnessed a somewhat usual situation, where organized social actors participated from inside the process through structured non-governmental organizations, and social movements exercised some more radical pressure from the outside. Since the creation of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), this mode of participation has turned into a "consensus-based cooperation", where civil society actors are supposed to contribute on equal footing with governments and business actors, in most cases in their individual capacity and rather disconnected from social movements. We seek papers that analyze the evolution of involved social actors and their structuring, especially with regards to the historical evolution of the concept of civil society, and to explore in which ways and to what extent these transformations may be related to the move from government to governance.

4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact
The WSIS created and mandated the IGF to address critical, value-adding global Internet governance functions that cannot be entirely performed by any existing institution. This includes: highlighting emerging issues, assessing the embodiment of WSIS principles, and strengthening the participation of stakeholders in Internet governance mechanisms. Furthermore, the IGF was defined as "multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent" body; it has been structured through a Secretariat, a multi-stakeholder advisory group (MAG), and a special advisory group to the MAG's chair; and for 3 years, it has been operating as an open discursive space, prepared through open consultation sessions. Submissions are invited to explore whether the IGF has fulfilled its mandate at this step, which difficulties can be identified and how they could be solved. Has the IGF structure, management and advisory mechanisms proven to be adequate and compliant with the WSIS Tunis Agenda requirements? What strengths could be reinforced and weaknesses overcome?

5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance
The Internet must now be considered a major factor when elaborating regulatory principles to deal with the circulation of content and data and with the protection of the general communications infrastructure. This is not an easy task because of its implications on the respect for universal human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, where States differ widely on their implementation of these international standards, even among coherent regional entities. The task becomes even more complex due to conflicts of competences among overlapping jurisdictions. We seek papers that identify and explore conflicts among national laws and attempts to harmonize them. We also seek papers that explore the relevance to the global Internet of public and private international law currently in force or being considered in ongoing international negotiations. Submissions analyzing the role and positions of various players in these processes are also encouraged.

6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control
We encourage papers that examine attempts to impose copyright protection on the Internet through the intermediary of Internet service providers. This theme bridges the topics of network neutrality and intellectual property, inspired by recent incidents, such as a Belgian ISP's order by a court to use deep packet inspection to catch copyright infringement in transit, and Comcast's notorious interference with BitTorrent, which also was probably stimulated in part by copyright protection concerns. Papers can explore the feasibility and "state of the art" of packet inspection and other relevant techniques, analyze copyright industry and ISP industry interactions from a political economy standpoint, or examine appropriate policy responses to new and powerful packet inspection techniques.

7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel?
We encourage papers on the economic, cultural and compatibility issues raised by the migration to a new standard for Internet domain names that allows them to reflect non-Roman scripts such as Chinese or Cyrillic. Internationalized domain names (IDNs) have a double-edged effect: they widen access for non-English or ASCII readers by making domain names easier to use, but they also introduce compatibility problems among people communicating across language boundaries, as one party may not know how to read or input the address of the other party. There are also interesting questions of competition policy, as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) must decide whether to give new generic top level domains (TLDs) in IDN scripts to incumbents operating ASCII TLDs with similar meanings, or to new competitors. Issues of consumer confusion and cross-linguistic disputes can also arise.

Recent Events

Public Meeting: Midterm Review of the Joint Project Agreement
28 February, 2008
9:00AM-12:00PM, EST
Washington DC, USA

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S.Department of Commerce (Department), will hold a public meeting to discuss the mid-term review of the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between the Department and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The JPA provides for the Department to conduct a midterm review of progress achieved on each ICANN activity and responsibility contained in the JPA and envisions consultation with interested stakeholders. To that end, on November 2, 2007, NTIA published a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comments on ICANN's progress towards achieving the responsibilities identified in the JPA.

NTIA will hold a public meeting to discuss comments received in response to the NOI and other stakeholder views and to facilitate further public discussion on the progress ICANN has made in fulfilling its responsibilities contained in the JPA. The agenda for the public meeting will be posted on NTIA's website at least one week prior to the meeting. This meeting will be webcast. The agenda and webcast information will be available on NTIA's website

The meeting will be open to members of the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to security requirements and to facilitate entry to the Department of Commerce building, anyone wishing to attend must contact Ashley Heineman at (202) 482-0298 or aheineman [at] ntia.doc.gov at least five (5) days prior to the meeting in order to provide the necessary clearance information. Attendees should arrive at least one-half hour prior to the start of the meeting and must present a valid passport or other photo identification up their arrival. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions at the meeting.

IGF Prepatory and Advisory Group Meeting
26-28 February, 2008
Geneva, Switzerland

This meeting will be held in the form of consultations open to all stakeholders. Its main purpose will be to take stock of the 2007 IGF meeting and to discuss how to prepare the New Delhi meeting. More details will be made available on the IGF website in due course.

All stakeholders are invited to send to the IGF Secretariat (via email (igf at unog.ch) or form) their comments and views on the Rio de Janeiro meeting and make suggestions with regard to the preparation of the meeting in New Delhi. You may wish to address topics such as the preparatory process, the logistics of the meeting as well as its format and content. All contributions will be posted on the Web site.

IGF Workshop: "DNSSEC: Securing a Critical Internet Resource"
14 November, 2007
Pardo II, Hotel Windsor Barra
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10:30 (Rio de Janeiro)/13:30 (Berlin)/7:30 (New York)/20:30 (Beijing)
Flyer | Join meeting online [See below for instructions on how to join meeting]

This workshop, co-sponsored by the IGP, CGI.br, and EuroISPA considers Internet governance and cyber security, and particularly DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC). The workshop will focus on the tensions and complementarities between global and national policy making, and the pursuit of global governance solutions to cyber security problems. DNSSEC is an IETF technical standard that could improve the security of the global DNS and reduce criminal or disruptive acts. A critical step in deploying DNSSEC widely is the signing of the root zone file, a critical Internet resource. The procedure for signing the root, and more importantly, determining the authorities who control the digital signing of this critical Internet resource has yet to be decided. What kinds of institutions, processes, and coordination are needed to secure the root and ensure demand for DNSSEC services? Are there specific and complimentary roles that governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector can or should play? This session brings together experts to address these questions.

Moderated by Brenden Kuerbis of IGP, panelists include:

Lesley Cowley, Chief Executive, Nominet UK, Council Member of the Country-Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO)
Tricia Drakes, Information Technologist, Chair ITC Information Security Panel, former ICANN Board member
Sabine Dolderer, CEO, DENIC eG
Malcolm Hutty, Representative Member, RIPE (Réseaux IP Européens)
Carlos Afonso, CGI.br (O Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil)
David Conrad, Vice President of Research and IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) Strategy, ICANN

Attendees will be able to pose questions or participate in the discussion either in person or online using Elluminate. If you have already installed the Elluminate java-based client, click on the "Join meeting online" link above. Otherwise, visit the using Elluminate page to install and test the software.

IGF Workshop: "Public Policy on the Internet"
14 November, 2007
Alhambra II, Hotel Windsor Barra
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
18:30 (Rio de Janeiro)/21:30 (Berlin)/15:30 (New York)/4:30 (Beijing)
Flyer | Join meeting online [See below for instructions on how to join meeting]

This workshop, co-sponsored by the IGP, the Government of France, Ian Peter and Associates Pty Ltd, Affilias, and the Internet Governance Caucus deals with three closely related themes:

What is "public policy" on the Internet? Can we reliably identify when Internet governance issues become "public policy" issues, and can these be isolated and extracted from "day-to-day" technical and operational matters?
When do we need global as opposed to national policies for the Internet? Is the claim that states have a "sovereign right" to make policy for the Internet compatible with the global scope of the Internet and the generally non-territorial reach of networked computers? Do national states adequately represent all aspects of the public interest at the global level?
What was intended by the Tunis Agenda's call for the "development of globally-applicable principles on public policy issues associated with the coordination and management of critical Internet resources"? What kind of "globally applicable principles" could be applied to the Internet resources? How would such principles improve and guide Internet governance? In what venue would such principles be developed and adopted?

Moderated by IGP Partner Jeanette Hofmann, panelists include representatives from government, the private sector and civil society:

Bertrand de la Chapelle, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France (government)
Ian Peter, Ian Peter and Associates Pty Ltd (private sector)
Milton Mueller, Internet Governance Project (civil society/academic)
Miriam Sapiro, Summit Strategies International (private sector)
Parminder Jeet Singh, IT for Change and co-coordinator, Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (civil society)
Paul Twomey, ICANN (international organization)
Olga Cavalli, GAC Representative, Argentina (Government)

Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet): Second Annual Symposium
11 Nov 2007
Hotel Windsor Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Program | Call For Papers

The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) is a recently-formed scholarly community that promotes the development of Internet governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study and facilitates informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. (See the GigaNet website for more information.)

Each year, GigaNet organizes a research symposium. The first was held October 2006 in Athens, Greece, a day prior to the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The second GigaNet symposium also will be held on site prior to the 2nd IGF meeting, on November 11, 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Attendance at the symposium will be open to all and free of charge. Registration with the UN as an IGF participant may be necessary to gain entry to the building.

European Summer School on Internet Governance: Interactive Learning in a Multistakeholder Environment
30 July - 4 August, 2007
Meissen, Germany
Website | Program | Application

Internet Governance was one of the most controversial issues in the process of the UN sponsored "World Summit on the Information Society" (WSIS). Based on a broad definition of Internet Governance the Tunis phase of WSIS decided in November 2005 to establish an Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for further discussion of the various dimensions of Internet Govnernace and to launch a process towards enhanced cooperation among involved institutions and organisations like ICANN, ITU and others. Internet Governance explores new areas of economic activity, political debate and diplomatic negotiations, as well as constituting a new area scientific research and academic education. The European Summer School on Internet Governance (EURO-SSIG) will help to promote the understanding of the different dimensions of Internet Governance as it was defined in the Final Report of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) in July 2005. It will bring together students from different stakeholder groups to support a practice oriented interactive learning in a multistakeholder environemnt.

The first European Summer School on Internet Governance (EURO-SSIG) will take place in the Evangelian Academy of the former St. Afra Monastir in Meissen, Germany between Monday, July 30 and Saturday, August 4, 2007. The EURO-SSIG offers 40 hours of lectures and seminars on the different aspects of Internet Governance by leading international experts. The programme covers lectures on the technical, political, legal, socio-economic and cultural dimension of Internet Governance as well as theories on global governance in the information age and multistakeholderism. Faculty members include Prof. Jonathan Zittrain from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), Dr. David Souter from the London School of Economics (LSE), Dr. Jeanette Hofmann from the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin and former WGIG Members Dr. Bill Drake and Jovan Kurbilja from the Geneva Institute for Higher International Studies (HEI), Avri Doria from Lulea Technology University (LTU) and Prof. Wolfgang Kleinw㢨ter from the University of Aarhus who will chair the EURO-SSIG Faculty. In addition to the lectures there will be evening round tables with leading professionals from government, private sector and civil society.

EURO-SSIG is open both for students and academic staff members. There are a limited number of places for fellows from governmental agencies and the private sector. Fellows will get a signed certificate. The privileged participation fee - which includes accomodation (five nights), all meals, teaching material, the touristic programm and the gala dinner - for students and academic staff members is 500.00 EUR (plus 19% VAT) per person. There are special tarifs for governmental and private sector representatives.

Application forms can be found here. The deadline for applications is May, 15th, 2007. There are a limited number of fellowships for students which can be obtained on request and availability.

The Summer School is organized by a consortium of European universities under the leadership of the Deparment of Media and Information Studies of the University of Aarhus in close cooperation with the "Global Internet Governance Academic Network" (GIGANET). It is supported by DENIC. Cooperation partners are UNESCO and the Diplo Foundation.

To get more information contact the EURO-SSIG secretary Sandra Hoferichter at info[at]hoferichter.eu or go to the EURO-SSIG website which provdes special information with regard to accomodation and transportation.

Civil Society Workshop on Domain Name Policy and Free Expression: Keep the Core Neutral
27 June 2007, 13:00 - 15:30 EDT
ICANN Board Meeting
Caribe Hilton Hotel
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Website | Audiocast | Webcast

Organized by the ICANN's Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) and IP Justice's Robin Gross, the civil society "Keep the Core Neutral" workshop will explore freedom of expression issues in the policy development process to introduce new generic top-level domains (gtlds)? As the ICANN community debates policy options to allow new top-level domains, it must consider important issues that impact what ideas may be expressed in a domain name. The workshop aims to provide a public discussion point in the ICANN policy development process for new top-level domains.

The workshop will address new gtld policy issues such as:

should ICANN remain content neutral in national policy debates when evaluating applications for domains?
how can ICANN protect freedom of expression rights in domain name policy?
what is the proper role for governments in approving or rejecting top-level domains?
what is the appropriate balance between trademarks and free expression rights in domain names?
who should decide which ideas are too controversial to be allowed in a top-level domain?
how to balance competing rights to use the same words in domain names?
should trademark owners be given prior registration privileges before other rights holders?
should a controversial domain name be rejected or delayed

Workshop speakers include:

Joi Ito, ICANN board member and Creative Commons board member
Christine Haight Farley, Law professor at American University
Michael Palage, Attorney and ex-board member of ICANN
Milton Mueller, Chairman of ICANN's Non-Commercial Users Constituency, professor at Syracuse University and founding partner of Internet Governance Project
Andrew Bridges, Attorney at Winston & Strawn (tbc)
Professor at FVG-CTS Rio Law School (tbc)
TBC

Digital Social Responsibility: Searching for Ethics on the Internet
7 June 2007, 2:00 - 6:00PM
Japan Society
333 East 47th Street
New York City, USA
Program | Register

This seminar will feature keynote speaker Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.org and will bring together a panel of experts in search engine technology, online business, internet-enabled social networking, and internet privacy to discuss the ethical and social challenges in the for- and not-for-profit sectors triggered by the rapid diffusion of digital technology and the ubiquity of internet protocol. The keynote and panel will be followed by a reception.

Topics of discussion will include:

Future accessibility and democratization of the Internet
The creation and support of a borderless, end-user-driven Internet, in Japan, the United States, China and elsewhere
Transparency and accountability
Striking the balance between protecting personal freedoms and squelching fraudulent online activity

Panelists

John Delaney, Partner & Technology Transactions Practice Group Co-Chair, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Dunstan Hope, Director, Advisory Services, Information and Communications Technology, Business for Social Responsibility
Dave Morgan, Founder & Chairman, Tacoda, Inc.

Moderator

Brad Stone, Technology Correspondent, The New York Times

IGF Open Consultations
15 - 25 May, 2007
Geneva, Switzerland
Website | Transcript | Synthesis Paper

The second round of consultations which was part of a cluster of WSIS related events took place in Geneva from 15-25 May, 2007. A draft programme outline and meeting schedule for the Rio de Janeiro Meeting was made available for comment

The full transcript of the proceedings is available. The audio and video archives will be made available in due course.

Stakeholders were invited to send in contributions, as an input into these consultations. A synthesis paper summarizing the contributions as well as comments posted in the discussion space of this Web site is available for download.

As a first step for preparing the Rio de Janeiro meeting a stock taking session took place on 13 February 2007. A synthesis paper summarizing the online contributions was made available. The full transcript of the meeting is available for download and the Chairman's closing remarks can be downloaded separately for easy access. The Web cast of the session can be accessed here and a list of participants can be viewed here.

Symposium on Internet Governance and Security: Exploring Global and National Solutions
17 May 2007, 2:00PM - 6:00PM EST
Swiss Embassy
2900 Cathedral Ave. N.W. (Metro: Red Line, Woodley)
Washington DC
Program | RSVP

This symposium on Internet Governance and Internet security will explore the relationship between global and national Solutions to problems of cyber crime and cyber security. The meeting will focus on the tensions and complementarities between global and national policy making for issues related to the security and privacy of commerce and communication on the Internet.

Three academic institutions are cooperating to define the program: Syracuse University School of Information Studies; the George Mason University Law School's Critical Infrastructure Protection Program; The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne. The meeting coincides with the US module of the EPFL's global Executive Master's in e-governance, which will bring 20 students and participants in the program to Washington.

Most cyber security initiatives are undertaken at the national level. But the Internet is a global infrastructure and effective policy often requires a globally coordinated effort. New global institutions such as ICANN and the Internet Governance Forum have been created to meet the need for global coordination and policy development. Older international institutions, such as the ITU and the United Nations, also wish to play a role. And powerful national governments such as the United States and China can often exert international influence over Internet policy. Many times these different sources of authority work at cross purposes or compete for influence. Often there are disagreements or uncertainties about what is the proper role of nations, international organizations, the private sector and the technical community.

This symposium will explore these issues, attracting an elite audience of technical experts, policy academics, U.S. and international policy makers in government, and industry players. They will identify and discuss Internet governance issues such as the security of the domain name system (DNSSEC), spam and cybercrime, identity and identification, and private sector security regimes in sectors such as banking.

Panel 1 - Securing the Root: The Politics and Economics of DNSSEC

Scott Rose, NIST
Becky Burr, Wilmer Hale, Washington DC
Paul Vixie, ISC
David Conrad, ICANN/IANA
Thierry Moreau, Connotech, Canada
Matt Larson, VeriSign

Panel 2 - Taking Charge: Public Sector Plans and Private Sector Priorities

Paul Kurtz, Cyber Security Industry Association
Tim Clancy, House Committee on Science & Technology
John Marsh, GMU Law School
Kathryn Condello, Qwest

Panel 3 - National Interest, Global Governance: Which Suits the Internet?

David Johnson, New York Law School
Milton Mueller, Syracuse University School of Information Studies
Marc Rotenberg, EPIC
Margie Milam, MarkMonitor

The symposium will be held in the facilities of the Swiss Embassy, who will also host a reception for sponsors, organizers, speakers, and invited guests beginning at 6:30.

The Future of Free Expression on the Internet
18 May 2007
Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
Oxford, England
Website | Registration

The OpenNet Initiative is holding its first public conference to discuss the current state of play of Internet filtering worldwide. The conference will be hosted by the Oxford Internet Institute and held at the University of Oxford on May 18, 2007. The conference is free of charge and open to the public.

Results from the first global study of Internet filtering carried out by the OpenNet Initiative will be on the table for a day of discussion involving ICT development experts, speech and human rights advocates, journalists and bloggers, international laywers and scholars, and others interested in state responses to online information flows. We hope you will join us in exploring interpretations and implications of our data and helping to shape the OpenNet Initiative�'s evolving research agenda.

The day will conclude with a debate hosted by the Oxford Union - "Resolved: the Internet is the greatest force for democracy around the world."

IGF Stocktaking
13 February, 2007
Geneva, Switzerland
Website

From the IGF website:

A stock-taking session open to all stakeholders will be held on 13 February 2007 at the Palais des Nations, United Nations Office in Geneva (Room XX).Meeting hours: 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00 hours. The meeting will have interpretation into all UN languages and benefit from real-time transcription. The aim of the meeting is to take stock of the Athens meeting, assess what worked well and what worked less well and make suggestions with regard to the preparation of the meeting in Rio De Janeiro. All stakeholders are invited to send us their comments and views on the Athens meeting and make suggestions with regard to the preparation of the meeting in Rio de Janeiro by filling out our online form or downloading the form [rtf] and emailing it back to us at igf@unog.ch or posting their comments on our discussion section.

First Annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
30 October - 2 November, 2006
Athens, Greece
Website

GigaNet First Annual Conference
29 October, 2006
Athens, Greece
Program

The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet), an emerging scholarly community initiated in Spring 2006, has issued a call for proposals (CFP) to speak at its first conference to be held on 29 October 2006 in Athens, Greece prior to the inaugural IGF meeting. GigaNet's four principal objectives are to: support the establishment of a global cohort of scholars specializing on Internet governance issues; promote the development of Internet governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study; advance theoretical and applied research on Internet governance, broadly defined; and facilitate informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and Internet governance stakeholders (governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society). Applicant responses should be sent directly to the respective panel chairs listed in the CFP and are due no later than Monday, 25 September, midnight GMT.

IGF Workshop: "Freedom of Expression and Internet content filtering and blocking by national states"
31 October, 2006
Workshop Room III (Poseidon C), Divani Apollon Hotel and Spa
Athens, Greece
15:30-17:00 GMT
Program | Join meeting online [See below for instructions on how to join meeting]

This workshop, sponsored by the IGP and UNESCO, considers blocking and filtering of Internet content mandated or enforced by governments. Two moderators, Jeanette Hofmann from the Internet Governance Project and Elizabeth Longworth of UNESCO, will ask questions and facilitate discussion by a panel of diplomats, global internet business representatives, academic researchers and civil society advocacy groups. The workshop will explore how countries with different notions of legal and illegal content can reconcile these differences in a way that maximizes the freedom and value of the Internet and makes it possible for Internet service providers to operate in a more secure and stable legal environment. Questions covered will include facts about the nature and scope of blocking; justifications offered by governments for blocking and by private businesses for collaborating with it; jurisdictional conflicts over Internet content; and areas of potential international agreement on how to deal with this problem.

Attendees will be able to pose questions or participate in the discussion either in person or online using Elluminate. If this is the first time you will be using Elluminate, you will need to download Java-based client software (around 5 minutes) by clicking on the "Join meeting online" link above. Your computer will need speakers and/or a microphone in order to participate. Once setup is complete, you will then be redirected to the meeting.

IGF Workshop: DNS and Root Zone File Management
1 November, 2006
Workshop Room II (Kleoniki), Divani Apollon Hotel and Spa
Athens, Greece
15:30-17:00 GMT
Program | Join meeting online [See below for instructions on how to join meeting]

This workshop, sponsored by the Third World Network, the Government of Brazil and IGP looks at the Domain Name System (DNS) and root zone file management. The DNS is a critical part of the Internet's infrastructure and has served Internet users well, but it has some well-known vulnerabilities. These problems can be exploited to engage in disruptive or criminal acts which can threaten commerce, reputation, or security. In response to these threats, the IETF proposed the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). DNSSEC introduces public-key cryptographic signatures into the DNS infrastructure to ensure the integrity and authenticity of information retrieved by DNS resolver queries. In addition to posing numerous technical challenges, the implementation of DNSSEC requires making substantial operational and policy decisions concerning the root. These decisions will impact all root server operators, all domain name registries (including ccTLDs), as well as DNS name server operators, resolver software and application developers, and end users. The panel will examine DNSSEC from the end user and ccTLD and gTLD registries perspective, while members of ICANN's SSAC, Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) and the Third World Network will explore the accountability and transperency of policy decisions pertaining to changes made at the root.

Attendees will be able to pose questions or participate in the discussion either in person or online using Elluminate. If this is the first time you will be using Elluminate, you will need to download Java-based client software (around 5 minutes) by clicking on the "Join meeting online" link above. Your computer will need speakers and/or a microphone in order to participate. Once setup is complete, you will then be redirected to the meeting.

Workshop on the Economics of Securing the Information Infrastructure
23-24 October, 2006
Washington DC
Program

The Road to Athens, The Internet Governance Forum a UK perspective
9 October, 2006
London, UK
Agenda | Webcast

Managing Expectations: Oxford event on IG Forum
1 September 2006
Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford, UK

About 20 people gathered at the Oxford Internet Institute September 1 to discuss the first meeting of the IGF and its substantive issues agenda. The conference was organized by the OII and the Berkman Institute at Harvard, and supported by Nominet UK, Afilias, and the Internet Society. A mix of academics, European government representatives, journalists and policy analysts attended, including Jeanette Hofmann and Milton Mueller of IGP. Markus Kummer of the Forum Secretariat also attended. The relevance of various issues to developing countries was a focal point of the discussions, although none of the attendees was from a developing country. As the discussions were organized around the four themes, they provided a rehearsal or small-scale experiment of how Forum deliberations might proceed.

The ideas exchanged clarified the challenges facing the Athens meeting. A common meta-theme was the problem of how to "manage the expectations" of participants given the Forum's novelty and its ambiguous status as a governance institution. Participants agreed that Forum attendees, especially developing countries, should return from Athens feeling that something useful occurred, but opinions varied on what counted as worthwhile. Forum "doves" claimed that they would be happy if the participants benefited from the networking that takes place, acquired new knowledge of best practices, and formed new networks and communities of interest. Forum "hawks" tended to characterize the Forum as a way to achieve visibility for new, pressing issues that are not receiving enough attention in international circles, and urged it to embrace rather than avoid the unfinished business of WSIS and serve as a place for critical assessment of international institutions involved in ICT governance. There was wide agreement, however, that the Forum presented the possibility of creating a safe place for deliberation, where the absence of binding decision making capacity opens up productive terrain for discussion and exchange. In this respect, as one participant pointed out, "running an effective 'talk shop' is not a trivial goal; it will be difficult to do this right." There was general recognition of the importance of confidence-building in the Forum, and that it would be legitimate to focus on problems around which some measure of agreement is possible.

The OII will release an official summary paper to the public in a few weeks. View the open meeting and private workshop agendas.

NTIA Public Meeting on DNS Transition
26 July 2006
Department of Commerce, Washington D.C., USA

Milton Mueller and Brenden Kuerbis attended the NTIA public meeting regarding The Continued Transition of the Technical Coordination and Management of the Internet Domain Name and Addressing System (Docket No. 060519136-6136-01). ...read a recap

Experts meeting on Internet Governance Forum
20-21 July 2006
Geneva, Switzerland

About 20 members of civil society advocacy groups and several government representatives attended a special experts meeting on the Internet Governance Forum in Geneva July 20-21. The meeting was organized by the Consumer Project on Technology, the Third World Network and the South Centre. IGP's Milton Mueller and Jeanette Hofmann were invited participants. Also among the attendees were IGF MAG member Robin Gross of IPJustice; Markus Kummer and Chengetai Masango of the IGF Secretariat; scholars William Drake and Michael Froomkin; Yale ISP Director Eddan Katz; CP Tech director James Love; Georg Greve of the European Free Software Foundation; Heather Ford of iCommons. IGP partner Milton Mueller claimed that the meeting was "the first real strategic intersection of Internet governance and A2K (Access to Knowledge/intellectual property) activists." The group had fruitfuil discussions with the IGF Secretariat on the function of the Forum; e.g., the difference between "binding" documents and norm negotiation, and discussing problems vs. developing solutions collectively, and on the suitable criteria for submitting papers and workshop proposals.

Past Events

Cogburn and Mueller speak at Computers, Freedom & Privacy 2006 on International Advocacy and IGF
Panel Talk, 12:30 EST, 4 May 2006
L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington D.C., USA

Two IGP Partners, Derrick Cogburn and Milton Mueller, participated in a panel held at the premiere privacy conference held in North America - Computers, Freedom and Privacy 2006. The session focused on the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as a new platform for discussion of global Internet policy and included participation of Markus Kummer, the IGF Executive Coordinator, Bill Drake, director of the project on the Information Revolution and Global Governance, and Michael Nelson, VP Public Policy, ISOC. The panel and audience, which included almost 50 in-person and online participants, discussed the anticipated decision-making processes of the IGF and the role of "multi-stakeholderism," the substantive agenda of the first IGF, and incoporating online collaboration tools to allow for remote participation. Some of the main conclusions of this panel were that the IGF should not become just a new forum of political debate, it should focus on real ICT problems that need to be discussed at a global level, and its results should feed into other policy-making institutions.

The TAKREM Key-Rollover Solution and the Future of DNS Security Extensions
Guest Talk, 3 March 2006
School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, Syracuse New York, USA

The IGP hosted a talk with Thierry Moreau, the founder of CONNOTECH Experts-conseils Inc., an information security consulting and R&D firm which invented the TAKREM procedure and technology that addresses an overlooked portion of the DNSSEC security scheme. The expected deployment of DNSSEC protocols should add a cryptography-based assurance protection to the domain name system (DNS) data retrieved from the distributed DNS database. This implies subtle changes in the roles played by the various participants in the global DNS, with business and public policy implications. ...view the presentation

IGP, Cotelco, WestEd and WFUNA Sponsor Online Dialogue to Broaden Participation in WSIS Prepcom 3
A Global Deliberative Dialogue on Internet Governance
Online Forum, 19-30 September 2005
For more information, and to register, go to: http://www.webdialogues.net/igp.

The Global Dialogue will explore the findings and recommendations of the official report of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance. There will also be real-time, synchronous webconferences that will feature updates from participants on the ground in Geneva. The web-based structure of the dialogue will allow diverse voices from around the world to contribute to the deliberations of Prepcom 3 without traveling to Geneva.

At the heart of the Global Dialogue are the daily, asynchronous, web-based deliberations on the public policy issues and governance models proposed for Internet Governance. For each discussion topic, panels of experts and active participants in the WSIS processes will be available. The digital library includes extensive and searchable background information. Daily summaries will capture the main discussion points and questions raised. Periodic polls will capture the viewpoints of participants and may aid in the development of consensus positions.

The dialogue is hosted by the Internet Governance Project in conjunction with the Collaboratory on Technology Enhanced Learning Communities (Cotelco), the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at the Maxwell School, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), and WestEd.

Regime Change on the Internet? Internet Governance after WGIG
Symposium, 28 July 2005
Washington DC, USA

US State Department official Richard Beaird claimed that the US has the responsibility to supervise ICANN and the DNS root and "cannot walk away" from it, but insisted the US wants to "talk to the world" about it. At the same time, speakers from other perspectives challenged the long-term viability of unilateral US control of the Internet and challenged the US to move the debate forward with new proposals. The comments came at a symposium sponsored by the Internet Governance Project and three other university programs in Washington, DC to assess the final report of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). The well-attended event was the first public event in the United States to review the UN Working Group's report and looked towards the future of Internet governance, leading up to the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia and beyond.

The symposium program was recorded using Elluminate software, beginning at 10:30 AM (US Eastern Standard Time). To review what happened, click here. If this is the first time you will be using Elluminate, you will need to download client software. You can pre-configure your system with the required software by going to the support page at any time. Please make sure your computer has speakers to be able to listen while you are in the Elluminate session.

Online Global Forum on ICANN Reform
Online Forum, 22 April 2005

The Internet Governance Project (IGP) has posted the archive of its recent online global forum on ICANN reform. The forum consisted of a real-time, on-line audio-visual discussion of structural reforms for ICANN. The focus was on the recent IGP concept paper, "What to Do About ICANN: A Proposal for Structural Reform." Those who missed the event can listen to the recording.

IGP Partners Call for Major Changes at WSIS Prepcom 2
WSIS Prepcom Events, 17-18 February 2005
Geneva, Switzerland

IGP sponsored two sessions at WSIS Prepcom 2. The first, "Civil Society in ICANN: What needs to be changed and what needs to be defended in the ICANN Model" was held Thursday. Dr. Milton Mueller and Dr. Hans Klein called for significant reforms in ICANN and Internet governance. Dr. Mueller's paper called for internationalizing US control of Internet identifiers via a framework convention and eliminating the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee. Both Dr. Mueller and Dr. Klein called for a form of "institutional competition" in which ITU would be given an IPv6 address block to administer, and ccTLDs would be given a choice of ITU or ICANN as the administrator of their root zone file. Both Klein and Mueller called for the reinstatement of At Large board member elections and better balance in ICANN's constituency structure. Michael Steffens of the Center for Democracy and Technology defended private sector governance if and when it is grounded in critical human rights values such as freedom of expression, a narrow, well-defined mission, and open and transparent processes.

The second session, on Friday, "Internet Governance After WSIS: Institutional Change for the Future" featured IGP partner Derrick Cogburn, WSIS Internet Governance caucus co-chair Jeanette Hofmann, and IGP partner John Mathiason participating remotely from Syracuse. Dr. Cogburn advocated expanding participation through collaborative technology, Dr. Mathiason advocated a Framework Convention as the next step, and Dr. Hofmann discussed the nature and role of "democracy" in international policy making. The session was recorded using Elluminate.

Governing the Internet: Global Rules for Advancing the Information Society
Symposium, 12 November 2004
Syracuse, NY USA

IGP sponsored a symposium, held the day after the UN Secretary General announced the members of the Working Group on Internet Governance. It attracted 50 live and 18 online participants, including four of the newly appointed members of the WGIG, as well as the executive coordinator Markus Kummer, who delivered his presentation from Geneva. See the program with speaker bios.

Seeking more information?
If you would like any information concerning events please e-mail: info[at]internetgovernance.org.

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