[Advisors] Governing the Web (and everything else) - The Globe and Mail

[Michael Gillespie]

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http://m.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/governing-the-web-and-everything-els=
e/article5864053/?service=3Dmobile

Governing the Web (and everything else)

Representatives of more than 190 governments begin a profoundly important 12=
-day closed-door meeting in Dubai on Monday to hammer out how the Internet s=
hould be run and who should pay for its operation.

The International Telecommunication Union, a low-profile United Nations agen=
cy that=E2=80=99s sponsoring the meeting, sets out the technical standards f=
or the world=E2=80=99s communication technologies, and the last time the gro=
up met was in 1988, when the information superhighway was geek talk and the W=
orld Wide Web didn=E2=80=99t exist. The Internet=E2=80=99s subsequent explos=
ive growth occurred not so much because of the ITU but despite it.

Private and state-owned telecommunications companies spent billions of dolla=
rs in response to user demand, and most governments took a hands-off approac=
h. In less than two decades, two billion people were able to go online.

To now let an obscure =E2=80=9Cone vote per country=E2=80=9D UN technical ag=
ency decide who does what next in the Internet=E2=80=99s development is the a=
ntithesis of what the Internet has achieved. Much of the documentation to da=
te is secret, and it=E2=80=99s hard to figure out the agendas of many player=
s. The blogosphere is buzzing about proposals by repressive governments and m=
oney-grabbing telecommunications companies. One paper by Russia would see th=
e ITU take over the Internet from the global ecosystem of volunteer organiza=
tions that currently govern it. Another by European telecommunications compa=
nies would let operators charge content providers such as YouTube that use a=
 lot of bandwidth.

Defenders of an open Internet are concerned about a dark agenda at the Dubai=
 meeting. =E2=80=9CMany states and corporations would like to get a strangle=
hold on the Internet,=E2=80=9D says Tim Berners-Lee, the Web=E2=80=99s inven=
tor. =E2=80=9CThe multistakeholder system that governs the Internet works we=
ll and we need to preserve its openness.=E2=80=9D

It=E2=80=99s farcical that no effort was taken by the ITU to include the peo=
ple who actually use and run it in deciding how tomorrow=E2=80=99s Internet w=
ill function. Of all organizations, the ITU should be able to see that the I=
nternet has made the ITU obsolete. But it=E2=80=99s not alone. Ironically, i=
t=E2=80=99s only one of many organizations the Internet itself is rapidly re=
ndering anachronistic.

Throughout the 20th century, nation-states co-operated to build global insti=
tutions to address global problems. This led to the creation of the Internat=
ional Monetary Fund, the World Bank and, ultimately, to the UN (1945), the G=
8 (1975) and the World Trade Organization (1995). But, increasingly, they se=
em unable to solve global problems. Are climate change, poverty and war too h=
ard to solve, or does the world need a new approach to global co-operation a=
nd governance?

These failures are often caused by national self-interests taking priority w=
hen the challenges demand solutions that transcend traditional nation-state b=
oundaries. These groups make little room for the inclusion of authentic citi=
zen voices, despite the fact that self-organized civic networks are congeali=
ng around every major international issue.

The successful governance of the Internet to date suggests a completely diff=
erent form of global co-operation to supplement or even succeed those based o=
n the nation-state, just as the nation-state itself was built on the foundat=
ions of earlier forms of government.

The Internet radically drops collaboration costs on a global basis, enabling=
 new models of problem-solving. It=E2=80=99s increasingly clear that governa=
nce will be co-owned by a variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, transnati=
onal corporations, emerging countries and traditional government entities. E=
ven individuals have an unprecedented ability to participate in global activ=
ities. As former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan once put it, =E2=80=9CWe li=
ve in a world where human problems do not come permanently attached to natio=
nal passports.=E2=80=9D Global governance isn=E2=80=99t owned by any one gov=
erning body. It=E2=80=99s a challenge owned by all of us.

Advocacy networks such as the Alliance for Climate Protection are working to=
 educate and mobilize millions, changing the policy of governments and globa=
l institutions. Some networks act as platforms for those who seek change. A g=
reat example is Ushahidi, the website established to map reports of violence=
 in Kenya after the post-election fallout of 2008 that evolved into a global=
 network to enable people to share information and organize for change. Watc=
hdog networks such as Human Rights Watch scrutinize the behaviour of governm=
ents. Global knowledge networks such as Wikipedia exist to produce and distr=
ibute knowledge to the world. Operational networks such as CrisisCommons int=
ervene in crises such as Hurricane Sandy.

More elaborate multi-issue networks such as the World Economic Forum or the C=
linton Global Initiative address a variety of issues but, unlike formal stat=
e-based institutions, are self-organizing and act as meta-networks trying to=
 help other networks succeed.

The battle beginning in Dubai on Monday is really an epochal showdown betwee=
n the old and new models of co-operating and governing ourselves on this eve=
r-shrinking planet. If the ITU wants to be helpful, it should back off and s=
imply reaffirm the principles of competition, openness, neutrality and the i=
ndependent regulation of national telecommunications that made the Web possi=
ble.

The governance of the Internet ain=E2=80=99t broken, so don=E2=80=99t fix it=
.

Don Tapscott, who released the Don Tapscott App: New Solutions for a Connect=
ed Planet on iTunes last week, is leading a program at the University of Tor=
onto=E2=80=99s Rotman School of Management on New Models of Global Problem S=
olving, Co-operation and Governance.



Autocorrect errors courtesy of my iPhone 4S on the retarded Telus network




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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div><div class=3D"original-url"><a href=3D=
"http://m.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/governing-the-web-and-everything-el=
se/article5864053/?service=3Dmobile">http://m.theglobeandmail.com/commentary=
/governing-the-web-and-everything-else/article5864053/?service=3Dmobile</a><=
br><br></div><div id=3D"article">
                <!-- This node will contain a number of 'page' class divs. -=
->
            <div class=3D"page" style=3D"font-family: Palatino, Georgia, Tim=
es, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.4; "><h1 class=
=3D"title">Governing the Web (and everything else)</h1>

<p>Representatives of more than 190 governments begin a profoundly important=
 12-day closed-door meeting in Dubai on Monday to hammer out how the Interne=
t should be run and who should pay for its operation.</p><p>The Internationa=
l Telecommunication Union, a low-profile United Nations agency that=E2=80=99=
s sponsoring the meeting, sets out the technical standards for the world=E2=80=
=99s communication technologies, and the last time the group met was in 1988=
, when the information superhighway was geek talk and the World Wide Web did=
n=E2=80=99t exist. The Internet=E2=80=99s subsequent explosive growth occurr=
ed not so much because of the ITU but despite it.</p>


<p>Private and state-owned telecommunications companies spent billions of do=
llars in response to user demand, and most governments took a hands-off appr=
oach. In less than two decades, two billion people were able to go online.</=
p><p>To now let an obscure =E2=80=9Cone vote per country=E2=80=9D UN technic=
al agency decide who does what next in the Internet=E2=80=99s development is=
 the antithesis of what the Internet has achieved. Much of the documentation=
 to date is secret, and it=E2=80=99s hard to figure out the agendas of many p=
layers. The blogosphere is buzzing about proposals by repressive governments=
 and money-grabbing telecommunications companies. One paper by Russia would s=
ee the ITU take over the Internet from the global ecosystem of volunteer org=
anizations that currently govern it. Another by European telecommunications c=
ompanies would let operators charge content providers such as YouTube that u=
se a lot of bandwidth.</p><p>Defenders of an open Internet are concerned abo=
ut a dark agenda at the Dubai meeting. =E2=80=9CMany states and corporations=
 would like to get a stranglehold on the Internet,=E2=80=9D says Tim Berners=
-Lee, the Web=E2=80=99s inventor. =E2=80=9CThe multistakeholder system that g=
overns the Internet works well and we need to preserve its openness.=E2=80=9D=
</p><p>It=E2=80=99s farcical that no effort was taken by the ITU to include t=
he people who actually use and run it in deciding how tomorrow=E2=80=99s Int=
ernet will function. Of all organizations, the ITU should be able to see tha=
t the Internet has made the ITU obsolete. But it=E2=80=99s not alone. Ironic=
ally, it=E2=80=99s only one of many organizations the Internet itself is rap=
idly rendering anachronistic.</p><p>Throughout the 20th century, nation-stat=
es co-operated to build global institutions to address global problems. This=
 led to the creation of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and,=
 ultimately, to the UN (1945), the G8 (1975) and the World Trade Organizatio=
n (1995). But, increasingly, they seem unable to solve global problems. Are c=
limate change, poverty and war too hard to solve, or does the world need a n=
ew approach to global co-operation and governance?</p><p>These failures are o=
ften caused by national self-interests taking priority when the challenges d=
emand solutions that transcend traditional nation-state boundaries. These gr=
oups make little room for the inclusion of authentic citizen voices, despite=
 the fact that self-organized civic networks are congealing around every maj=
or international issue.</p><p>The successful governance of the Internet to d=
ate suggests a completely different form of global co-operation to supplemen=
t or even succeed those based on the nation-state, just as the nation-state i=
tself was built on the foundations of earlier forms of government.</p><p>The=
 Internet radically drops collaboration costs on a global basis, enabling ne=
w models of problem-solving. It=E2=80=99s increasingly clear that governance=
 will be co-owned by a variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, transnationa=
l corporations, emerging countries and traditional government entities. Even=
 individuals have an unprecedented ability to participate in global activiti=
es. As former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan once put it, =E2=80=9CWe live i=
n a world where human problems do not come permanently attached to national p=
assports.=E2=80=9D Global governance isn=E2=80=99t owned by any one governin=
g body. It=E2=80=99s a challenge owned by all of us.</p><p>Advocacy networks=
 such as the Alliance for Climate Protection are working to educate and mobi=
lize millions, changing the policy of governments and global institutions. S=
ome networks act as platforms for those who seek change. A great example is <=
a href=3D"http://www.ushahidi.com/" title=3D"">Ushahidi</a>, the website est=
ablished to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election fallout=
 of 2008 that evolved into a global network to enable people to share inform=
ation and organize for change. Watchdog networks such as Human Rights Watch s=
crutinize the behaviour of governments. Global knowledge networks such as Wi=
kipedia exist to produce and distribute knowledge to the world. Operational n=
etworks such as CrisisCommons intervene in crises such as Hurricane Sandy.</=
p><p>More elaborate multi-issue networks such as the World Economic Forum or=
 the Clinton Global Initiative address a variety of issues but, unlike forma=
l state-based institutions, are self-organizing and act as meta-networks try=
ing to help other networks succeed.</p><p>The battle beginning in Dubai on M=
onday is really an epochal showdown between the old and new models of co-ope=
rating and governing ourselves on this ever-shrinking planet. If the ITU wan=
ts to be helpful, it should back off and simply reaffirm the principles of c=
ompetition, openness, neutrality and the independent regulation of national t=
elecommunications that made the Web possible.</p><p>The governance of the In=
ternet ain=E2=80=99t broken, so don=E2=80=99t fix it.</p><p><em><a href=3D"h=
ttps://twitter.com/dtapscott">Don Tapscott</a>, who released the</em> Don Ta=
pscott App: New Solutions for a Connected Planet <em>on iTunes last week, is=
 leading a program at the University of Toronto=E2=80=99s Rotman School of M=
anagement on New Models of Global Problem Solving, Co-operation and Governan=
ce.</em></p>


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7, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);=
 background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); ">Autocorrect errors courtesy of <=
/span>my iPhone 4S on the retarded Telus network<div><br></div><div><br><div=
><span style=3D"font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial; f=
ont-size: 22px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -we=
bkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composit=
ion-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: aut=
o; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></span></div></div></div></bo=
dy></html>=

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