The Emerging Internet Governance Mosaic: Connecting the Pieces

Abstract

The first phase in Geneva in 2003 of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the subsequent establishment by the United Nations of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) clearly indicated broad agreement that the Internet is a valuable tool that can be used by individuals, communities, business and governments for social and economic transformation and development. The phenomenal growth in Internet use and the placing at users' fingertips of substantial 'communicative power' to command knowledge, economic and technological communication resources has interwoven the Internet and related information and communication technologies (ICTs) into the fabric of life in many areas of the world. This opens important opportunities to address a wide range of issues, such as those covered by the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The forum on which this paper is based discussed numerous governance issues arising from this global phenomenon. The authors identified the following as the most significant five themes and suggestions to emerge from these discussions: (1) Applying different solutions for different Internet governance issues; (2) Preventing fragmentation of the emerging Internet governance mosaic; (3) Understanding how to manage Internet governance complexities is key; (4) Balancing interests in multi-stakeholder processes is inherently political; (5) Coordinating the bigger picture to shape effective Internet governance.