ICANN has joined other groups in sending a letter to the United’ Nations’ Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), which expresses surprise and strong opposition to a government-only model for participation and consultation in working group whose mission is to study improvements to the Internet Governance Forum.
The letter was signed by 10 organizations, including ICANN, the Internet Society (ISOC) and the International Chamber of Commerce.
In the correspondence, the group wrote, “We ask the Secretary-General of the United Nations to set up a working group on Internet governance, in an open and inclusive process that ensures a mechanism for the full and active participation of governments, the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and international organizations and forums, to investigate and make proposals for action…”
The letter is a direct response to a decision by the CSTD on Monday to form a working group to study Internet improvements that would be made up only of “member-states,” which means that such a body would not only exclude all non-governmental entities, such as business and technology organizations, but also limit participation of governments that are not members of the CSTD.
The consensus decision of the UN would be based in large part on the deliberations of the working group in question. The decisions of the working group could frame the structure and mandate of the United Nation’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for the next 5 years.
ICANN and the other organizations, wrote that the original purpose and function of the group should be retained through,“the full and active participation of governments, the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and international organizations and forums”.