Event Overview
On January 4, 2024, the NetMission Academy Session 1 kicked off with an introduction by Bea Guevarra, who welcomed participants. The introduction session was “Internet Governance Ecosystem & Internet Infrastructure” spearheaded by Edmon Chung, CEO of DotAsia Organisation, who guided the audience through various dimensions of Internet Governance.
Key Speakers
Five distinguished speakers contributed their insights during the session:
- Joyce Chen: APNIC’s Senior Advisor for Strategic Engagement.
- Athena Foo: Stakeholder Engagement Manager, APAC, joined ICANN in November 2022.
- Dhruv Dhody: IETF IAB Outreach Coordinator.
- Anja Gengo: Currently associated with the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
- Lily Edinam Botsyoe: Representative from the Ghana Youth IGF.
Introduction of Internet Governance
Edmon Chung provided a comprehensive overview of Internet Governance (IG), emphasizing its role in managing the Internet, tackling issues like fake news, addressing privacy concerns, and the significance of Edward Snowden’s revelations on mass surveillance. He explained how the multistakeholder model includes various participants like governments, civil society, the technical community, academia, and youth, ensuring a bottom-up and consensus-based decision-making process.
Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)
The discussion extended to the sharing of Joyce Chen, representative of APNIC, on Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and their role in allocating and registering Internet resources such as IP addresses and AS numbers. The Number Resource Organizations (NRO), comprising ARIN, LACNIC, AFRINIC, APNIC, and RIPE NCC, were introduced. Joyce elaborated on RIRs’ responsibility for allocating IP addresses and the significance of Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) in securing internet routing infrastructures.
Multilateral Model within the United Nations system, where decision-making processes for internet governance take place. Notable Internet Governance entities, including ICANN, IETF, and IGF, were introduced. The imperfections of the multistakeholder model were acknowledged, with an emphasis on considering global public interest and incorporating technical and youth perspectives. Global digital compact and internet fragmentation were also key issues discussed. He stressed the importance of participation from all stakeholders to prevent internet fragmentation and maintain the underlying technical infrastructure of the Internet. Edmon concluded by urging the audience to engage in Internet governance to shape the future of the Internet.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Athena Foo provided insights into the functions of ICANN, emphasizing its role in managing domain names and adhering to a bottom-up multistakeholder model. Key issues discussed included the multilingual internet, expanding DNS through gTLDs, and addressing DNS abuse.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
Dhruv Dhody shed light on the contribution of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to enhancing the Internet through open standards. He highlighted the inclusive nature of IETF, where anyone can participate, and success is determined by voluntary deployment based on technical merits. Recent security efforts, advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), and the importance of Web RTC during the COVID-19 pandemic were underscored.
International Governance Forum (IGF)
Anja Gengo delved into the International Governance Forum (IGF) operating under the UN and its multi-stakeholder model. The roles of the Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) and Leadership Panel were highlighted. The bottom-up structure, driven by the community and featuring intersectional work between annual meetings, was emphasized.
Youth IGF Initiatives
The speaker for this section of the session was Ms. Lily Edinam Botsyoe who spoke to us about the need and importance of having youth involvement in the internet governance space. She highlighted that National and Regional Youth Initiatives (NRIs) are interconnected with the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and they act as an excellent platform for youth to discuss, exchange information, and share best practices on various issues that affect them the most.
Lily Edinam Botsyoe focused on Youth IGF Initiatives, emphasizing their role in national and regional youth engagement in internet governance. The revival of the Youth IGF in Ghana in 2019 showcased the importance of youth participation. The multi-stakeholder approach of IGF allows diverse involvement beyond government affairs, and practical steps for engagement were discussed.
Q&A Session Summary
The Q&A session brought forth insightful questions and responses from the speakers:
- Cross-Border Data Flows and Individual Rights (WG#1): Joyce addressed the absence of specific legal frameworks for cross-border data flows, mentioning WHOIS data and the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) influenced by EU GDPR as relevant measures.
- Quality Adherence in IETF (WG#2): Dhruv explained that IETF maintains quality adherence through public discussions, transparent decision-making, and a decentralized process, ensuring technical output is judged based on merit.
- ICANN’s Role in Online Safety for Children (WG#3): Athena clarified that ICANN, not being a regulatory body, focuses on internet infrastructure. While it collaborates with law enforcement, it doesn’t directly address online safety for children.
- Future Themes for IGF Meetings and Ethical Implications of AI (WG#4): Anja emphasized that future IGF themes are shaped by community outcomes, with the ethical implications of AI expected to be a crucial topic, driven by evolving global discourse.
- Youth Initiatives’ Impact on Policy Decisions (WG#5): Lily highlighted successes in youth initiatives, influencing discussions at national and global levels, leading to changes in tariffs and increased awareness of youth involvement in shaping policy decisions.
Written by Saduni Sathsara and Barkha Manral (Contributed by Sameer Gahlot, Caresse Tan, Tejaswita Kharel, Aviral Kaintura, Paolo Miguel Ordonio, Socheata Sokhachan, Thụy Xuân Thảo Trịnh, Asifa Nasiry, Ahmad Umair Bin Suhaidi, Jack Kelliher, Khushbakht)