Contributor: Christian Dawson, Internet Infrastructure Coalition
I - PRINCIPLES FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE PROCESSES
I - A) THE 2014 NETMUNDIAL PROCESS PRINCIPLES
1. The 2014 NETmundial meeting adopted a set of 10 Principles for Internet Governance Processes. In light of the rapid technical, social, and economic evolutions that have taken place since then, please indicate below your degree of support for the following statements:
The 10 “NETmundial Internet Governance Process Principles” adopted in 2014 remain relevant to address today’s digital governance challenges
Our persistent difficulties in dealing with digital issues largely stem from insufficient inclusion of all relevant stakeholders in policy discussions
Our persistent difficulties in dealing with digital issues reflect different interests, priorities and value systems of distinct stakeholders
I - B) STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES
3. The 2014 NETmundial statement includes the following “multistakeholder” Internet Governance Process Principle: “The respective roles and responsibilities of stakeholders should be interpreted in a flexible manner with reference to the issue under discussion”. The distribution of roles and responsibilities between stakeholders is an ongoing (and contentious) subject of debate. In this regard, please indicate below your degree of support for the following statements:
Each stakeholder group has different roles and responsibilities, depending on the topic and phases of specific governance processes
Most digital governance processes are applying the above mentioned “multistakeholder” principle
I - C) COORDINATION
5. Numerous initiatives and processes have emerged to address the broad diversity of issues raised by the digital revolution. Sometimes, multiple processes address the same issues in parallel. Please indicate below your degree of support for the following statements:
Separate siloed discussions on a specific issue risk creating incompatible and even conflicting outcomes.
Distributed initiatives on a particular issue can help cover the diversity of approaches and perspectives.
Better coordination is needed between processes dealing with overlapping issues
There is broad consensus to support the multistakeholder approach, but little common or broadly-shared understanding about how to put it into practice. NETmundial+10 aims to help operationalize, through guidelines, principles and mechanisms, improvements for multistakeholder collaboration.
II - A) PARTICIPATION IN MULTILATERAL PROCESSES
7. Some multilateral processes offer the possibility for non-governmental stakeholders to contribute through consultations. However, these examples remain limited and there is often no transparency on how these inputs are taken into account in subsequent stages of discussions among States. Please indicate below your degree of support for the following statements:
Since NETmundial 2014, opportunities for non-governmental stakeholders to participate in multilateral processes have been improved
More transparent mechanisms should be put in place regarding how input from non-governmental stakeholders is taken into account
Relevant non-governmental stakeholders should be able to attend/observe multilateral negotiations on digital issues.
Relevant non-governmental stakeholders should be able to contribute in a meaningful way to multilateral negotiations on digital issues.
II - B) GUIDELINES FOR MULTISTAKEHOLDER CONSENSUS-BUILDING AND DECISION-MAKING
Principles of open and inclusive multistakeholder collaboration in digital governance are scattered in various foundational documents and declarations. The characteristics enunciated below are distilled from some of those documents that deal with multistakeholder collaboration processes as well as from current good practices and experiences.
The aim here is to obtain feedback from the community as to the relevance of each of these characteristics, with a view to elaborating a sort of “gold standard” or “protocol of protocols” that may serve national, regional, and global communities to establish and develop multistakeholder collaboration processes and mechanisms, as well as to assess processes and mechanisms that are presented as being multistakeholder.
9. Please rank the relevance of the following guidelines in the order of importance in your view. Assign a number from 1 to 12 to each item, where 1 indicates the most important and 12 indicates the least important:
Multistakeholder processes should be accessible to all stakeholders, regardless of their background, status, or level of expertise.
Multistakeholder processes should empower stakeholders by providing them with the necessary information, resources, and skills to participate effectively.
Stakeholders should treat each other with mutual respect, recognizing the value of diverse viewpoints and contributions.
Multistakeholder processes should involve informed and deliberative discussion among stakeholders.
Stakeholders should share responsibility for the outcomes of the multistakeholder process.
Multistakeholder processes should be governed by the rule of law, with respect for constitutional principles, human rights, and legal frameworks.
Mechanisms for resolving conflicts among stakeholders should be in place to enable decision-making.
Digital governance processes should be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, evolving technologies, emerging issues, and changing geopolitical dynamics.
Decisions should consider the long-term implications and sustainability of outcomes.
Capacity-building efforts enhance understanding and skills of stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries and underrepresented communities.
Multistakeholder processes should strive to treat all stakeholders fairly and equitably, considering their respective needs, capacities, and vulnerabilities.
A global multistakeholder approach to digital governance should recognize the need for collaborative action across national borders and stakeholder groups.
10. Please identify up to three relevant items from the above list you consider are not being effectively implemented in current digital governance processes.
III - INPUT TO ONGOING PROCESSES
III-A) THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM – IGF
12. The IGF environment, including the global annual event, the National and Regional Initiatives and the intersessional work, brings together all stakeholder groups on an equal footing. Please indicate below your degree of support for the following statements regarding the IGF:
The IGF has been an effective space for Internet governance debates and cooperation
The IGF lacks the required financial resources to properly perform its mission
With appropriate conditions, the IGF has the capacity to innovate multistakeholder approaches
A strengthened IGF would be the preferred space to improve coordination among digital governance processes
III-B) OTHER PROCESSES (GDC, WSIS+20 Review)
Several processes are under way in the UN context regarding the governance of digital issues, in particular the negotiations around the Global Digital Compact (included in the Pact for the Future) and the WSIS+20 review process. They may set fundamental guidelines and recommendations for the further development of the Internet and the digital ecosystem as a good for society and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs. As a unique gathering with all participant stakeholders on an equal footing, do you believe that NETmundial+10 should send messages to these processes?
