i2Coalition Headed to Indonesia for Internet Governance Forum

Since the Internet Infrastructure Coalition launched more than a year ago, we’ve made connecting with the international community a prime focus. As the unified voice of our industry’s public policy goals, it is crucial to actively participate on a global scale and work with our international colleagues to develop a path forward to reach common goals and ensure Internet freedom.

With that in focus, Jay Sudowsky of Handy Networks and I are both looking forward to traveling to Bali, Indonesia to participate in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) next week on October 22-25. The i2Coalition has made numerous trips globally in a relatively short time to promote our message internationally and this trip promises to be equally informative.

The main mission of the Internet Governance Forum is to fulfill the directive from the World Summit on the Information Society in establishing a multistakeholder discussion on Internet governance. While the IGF does not have formal membership, it enjoys participation throughout the globe from a variety of government delegations, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, media, and of course, the Internet industry. The broad spectrum of participants is an important reminder that the Internet is borderless and all players should have a voice when debating how it should be governed.

The 2013 IGF will aptly focus on “Building Bridges – Enhancing Multistakeholder Cooperation for Growth and Sustainable Development.” The i2Coalition has long held the position that a multistakeholder process is critical in ensuring that the Internet continues to be an engine for economic growth and innovation.  The conference offers a good opportunity for open discussion among members of the Internet community. We believe that the success of the Internet is directly attributable to the success of the multistakeholder method of governance.

Other themes that will be discussed in Bali, according to the draft program [PDF], include: access and diversity, openness, security, enhanced cooperation, principles of multistakeholder cooperation, and Internet governance principles.

This year, more than ever, is an interesting time to be involved in Internet governance discussions as well as monitor for new developments. We look forward to participating in the debate in Bali and will certainly use this opportunity to continue to advocate on behalf of the Internet infrastructure industry.  If you have any thoughts on IGF, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at [email protected].