Rudolf Rijgersberg, Research Fellow Netherlands Institute for
International Relations 'Clingendael' looks at the United States' role
in internet oversight in light of the imminent expiration of the Joint
Project Agreement between the Department of Commerce and ICANN.
Rijgersberg says that "Although ICANN is operationally self-sufficient
and the decentralized DNS structure stimulates competition and
innovation, ICANN's political dependence on the US is unacceptable to
the international community."
However Rijgersberg also finds fault with internationalisation
proposals put forward by the EU and UN, saying they "would effectively
put the innovative character of the Internet at risk. This
consideration should play a more prominent role in the foreign and
Internet policies of the individual EU and UN member-states. Instead of
viewing US oversight as potential risk to national communication
infrastructures, there is much to be said for cherishing the blessings
of US oversight and maintaining the current status quo."
On the EU proposal for a more global body to take on ICANN's role,
Rijgersberg says this is "unrealistic. Because technical and political
decisions go hand in hand on the Internet, it forecloses the advocated
separation between political and technical governance."
"Although both proposals for internationalizing DNS oversight may have
their pros and cons, the devil is not as much in the details as in the
general supposition. An internationalization of oversight creates a
centralization of Internet governance with comprehensive features."
He goes on to say, "Public responsibilities generally presuppose public
accountability mechanisms. However, it is unrealistic to assume that
ICANN, as private organization, can offer constitutional accountability
mechanisms. This is why international legitimacy, making ICANN
accountable to an intergovernmental umbrella organization, is seen as
offering a more secure basis for ICANN's operations in the public
interest than unilateral American oversight does."
International oversight though, Rijgersberg says, leads to a
centralisation of internet governance that "puts the innovative
character of the Internet at risk."
Rijgersberg's article covers a number of other issues and then he
concludes his 2,500 word essay by saying "the current situation with
the US as keeper of a relatively free Internet, is to be preferred to a
global monopolist created by intergovernmental supervision. Instead of
viewing US oversight as a potential risk to national communication
infrastructures, individual states should cherish the blessings of US
supervision and seriously consider maintaining the current status quo
by actively promoting yet another extension of the joint project
agreement between ICANN and the US government."
To read this article by Rudolf Rijgersberg, Research Fellow
Netherlands Institute for International Relations 'Clingendael', in
full, see:
www.circleid.com/posts/the_us_as_keeper_of_a_free_internet/