On
Internet rules, India now more willing to say ICANN
The
Hindu India has reinvented its position on Internet governance, hoping to become
a new voice of reason in what has so far been a deeply polarised global debate.
Distances itself from any model propagating governments taking “charge” or
“balkanising” the web
India
has reinvented its position on Internet governance, hoping to become a new voice
of reason in what has so far been a deeply polarised global debate. The change,
effected after detailed inter-ministerial as well as multi-stakeholder
consultation, is intended to distance India from any model propagating
governments taking “charge” or “balkanising” the Internet. It was unveiled at
the recent Budapest Cyber Space Conference.
According
to Minister of State for Telecom Sachin Pilot, who led the Indian delegation to
Budapest, instead of opposing the U.S.-based Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) and its operations through an earlier proposal called
the U.N. Committee on Internet-Related Policies (UN-CIRP), India will pursue
enhanced cooperation through wider dialogue.
“In
our meetings with Fadi Chehade, the new CEO of ICANN, I have sought
far stronger representation of the developing world on the four ICANN Advisory
committees”, Mr. Pilot told The Hindu.ICANN’s committees include the “At Large
Advisory Committee (ALAC), Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), Root Server
System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) and the Security and Stability Advisory
Committee (SSAC).
Countries
such as Russia, China, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have been advocating governance
models that seek to place the Internet under U.N. control while the U.S. and
western states have been reluctant to move away from the status quo position of
ICANN-led Internet governance. India had positioned its UN-CIRP proposal as
something that would lie in between these two extremes. But while the
international debate continues, it is keen to step up its engagement with ICANN
which remains, for the moment, the only game in town.
“The
extreme views being floated by some countries on Internet governance could lead
to the balkanisation of Internet and we are against any such move, including
control of Internet by government or inter-governmental bodies. We seek enhanced
dialogue and continuation of a working group to find ways to resolve the sharp
differences that currently exist,” Mr. Pilot said.
Mr.
Pilot’s position is consistent with that of Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who
maintained at two recent meetings on Internet governance in India in September
2012, that India was firmly against government control of the Internet while
seeking consensus among multi-stakeholders to develop an appropriate model for
the effective management of the Internet.
India
had attracted criticism from the U.S. and from corporate stakeholders who want
no dilution of the current ICANN-run system after it presented its UN-CIRP model
for Internet governance last October at the 66th General Assembly of the United
Nations in New York.
While
the UN-CIRP essentially sought a shift from the existing ICANN-run model that is
perceived to be too close to the U.S. government, many domestic stakeholders
were critical of the lack of consultation in the run-up to the October 2011
statement. Signs of a rethink in the government were evident when senior
officials in the ministries concerned refused to entertain questions on the
genesis of the UN-CIRP proposal put to them by The Hindu over the past few
months.
In
the run-up to the Budapest meet, a UPA task-force held closed-door consultations
involving the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Telecom and IT, industry
bodies and others. Latha Reddy, the Deputy National Security Adviser,
coordinated this effort. On the issue of India’s earlier UN-CIRP model, Mr.
Pilot also confirmed, “We are moving ahead with new proposals. While the
existing system certainly needs to be changed, India’s position will include
multi-stakeholder involvement and not inter-governmental bodies that may have
been proposed in the past.”
The
Indian government’s changed stance on Internet governance, though subtle, is
expected to generate further attention at the upcoming Internet Governance Forum
in Baku, Azerbaijan next month, where thousands of delegates representing
governments, business, civil society, academia and media from across the world
will collect to discuss the issue.
For
further information visit: http://www.thehindu.com/news/
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