Recognizing WSIS Impacts

Unless it acknowledges key characteristics of the Internet, the World Summit on the Information Society will easily undermine it

PP Resolution 102


PP RESOLUTION 102 (Rev. Busan, 2014)

ITU’s role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses

The Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union ( Busan, 2014),

  • recalling
    • a) relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly;
    • b) the outcome documents of the WSIS+10 High-Level Event;
    • c) the results of the World Telecommunication/Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Forums in regard to issues related to Resolutions 101, 102 and 133 (Rev. Busan, 2014) of this conference;
    • d) Resolutions 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 64, 69 and 75 (Rev. Dubai, 2012) of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA),
  • recognizing
    • a) all relevant resolutions of the Plenipotentiary Conference;
    • b) all relevant outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS);
    • c) Internet-related activities of ITU, undertaken within its mandate with respect to the implementation of this resolution and other relevant ITU resolutions,
  • considering
    • a) that the purposes of the Union are, inter alia, to promote, at the international level, the adoption of a broad approach to the issues of telecommunications/information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the global information economy and society, to promote the extension of the benefits of new telecommunication technologies to all the world’s inhabitants and to harmonize the efforts of Member States and Sector Members in the attainment of those ends;
    • b) the need for preserving and promoting multilingualism on the Internet for an integrating and inclusive information society;
    • c) that advances in the global information infrastructure, including the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks and the Internet, taking into account the requirements, features and interoperability of next-generation networks (NGN) and future networks, are of crucial importance as an important engine for growth in the world economy in the twenty-first century;
    • d) that the development of the Internet is essentially market-led and driven by private and government initiatives;
    • e) that the private sector continues to play a very important role in the expansion and development of the Internet, for example through investments in infrastructures and services;
    • f) that the public sector and public-private and regional initiatives continue to play a very important role in the expansion and development of the Internet, for example through investments in infrastructures and services;
    • g) that management of the registration and allocation of Internet domain names and addresses must fully reflect the geographical nature of the Internet, taking into account an equitable balance of interests of all stakeholders;
    • h) the role played by ITU in the successful organization of the two phases of WSIS, and that the Geneva Declaration of Principles and the Geneva Plan of Action, adopted in 2003, and the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, adopted in 2005, have been endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly;
    • i) that the management of the Internet is a subject of valid international interest and must flow from full international and multistakeholder cooperation on the basis of the outcomes of the two phases of WSIS;
    • j) that, as stated in the WSIS outcomes, all governments should have an equal role and responsibility for international Internet governance and for ensuring the stability, security and continuity of the existing Internet and its future development and of the future internet, and that the need for development of public policy by governments in consultation with all stakeholders is also recognized;
    • k) work being carried out by the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) relevant to this resolution,
  • recognizing further
    • a) that ITU is dealing with technical and policy issues related to IP-based networks, including the existing Internet and evolution to NGN as well as studies into the future internet;
    • b) that ITU performs worldwide coordination of a number of radiocommunication-related and telecommunication-related resource allocation systems and acts as a forum for policy discussion in this area;
    • c) that significant effort has been put in by ITU on ENUM, “.int”, internationalized domain name (IDN), and country code top-level domain (ccTLD) issues through workshops and standardization activities;
    • d) that ITU has published a comprehensive and useful Handbook on Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks and related topics and Issues;
    • e) §§ 71 and 78a) of the Tunis Agenda with regard to the establishment of enhanced cooperation on Internet governance and the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), as two distinct processes;
    • f) the relevant WSIS outcomes in §§ 29-82 of the Tunis Agenda concerning Internet governance;
    • g) that ITU should be encouraged to facilitate cooperation with all stakeholders as referred to in § 35 of the Tunis Agenda;
    • h) that Member States represent the interests of the population of the country or territory for which a ccTLD has been delegated;
    • i) that countries should not be involved in decisions regarding another country’s ccTLD,
  • emphasizing
    • a) that the management of the Internet encompasses both technical and public policy issues and should involve all stakeholders and relevant intergovernmental and international organizations in accordance with §§ 35 a)-e) of the Tunis Agenda;
    • b) that the role of governments includes providing a clear, consistent and predictable legal framework, in order to promote a favourable environment in which global ICT networks are interoperable with Internet networks and widely accessible to all citizens without any discrimination and to ensure adequate protection of public interests in the management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses;
    • c) that WSIS recognized the need for enhanced cooperation in the future, to enable governments, on an equal footing, to carry out their roles and responsibilities, in international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, but not in the day-to-day technical and operational matters that do not impact on international public policy issues;
    • d) that ITU, for its part, has started the process towards enhanced cooperation as one of the relevant organizations referred to in § 71 of the Tunis Agenda, and that the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues (CWG-Internet) should continue its work on Internet-related public policy issues;
    • e) that ITU can play a positive role by offering all interested parties a platform for encouraging discussions and for the dissemination of information on the management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU,
  • noting
    • a) that CWG-Internet has furthered the objectives of Resolution 75 (Rev. Dubai, 2012) regarding public policy issues pertaining to the Internet;
    • b) Resolutions 1305, 1336 and 1344, adopted by the ITU Council;
    • c) that CWG-Internet shall include in its work all relevant decisions of this conference and all other resolutions relevant to the work of the group as stated in Council Resolution 1305 and the annex thereto;
    • d) the continued importance of openness and transparency in the development of international Internet public policy issues in line with § 35 of the Tunis Agenda;
    • e) the need for development of international Internet public policy by governments in consultation with all stakeholders;
    • f) ongoing activities in relevant ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) and ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) study groups relevant to this resolution,
    • noting
      • a) the decision to convene the fourth World Telecommunication Policy Forum and the results of this forum, in particular Opinion 1 in regard to public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, and taking into consideration Resolutions 47, 48, 49, 50 and 52 (Rev. Johannesburg, 2008) and 64, 69 and 75 (Johannesburg, 2008) of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA);
      • b) that the Dedicated Group, as an integral part of the Council Working Group on WSIS (Resolution 75 (Johannesburg, 2008)), has furthered the objectives of that resolution regarding public policy issues pertaining to the Internet;
      • c) Resolution 1305, adopted by the ITU Council at its 2009 session, which instructed the Secretary-General to disseminate, as appropriate, the reports of the Dedicated Group to all relevant international organizations and stakeholders actively involved in such matters for their consideration in their policy-making processes;
      • d) that the Dedicated Group would be more efficient in its role if it became autonomous and directly responsible to the Council;
      • e) that the Dedicated Group shall include in its work all relevant decisions of this conference and all other resolutions relevant to the work of the group as stated in Council Resolution 1305 and the annex thereto,
  • resolves
    • 1 to explore ways and means for greater collaboration and coordination between ITU and relevant organizations1 involved in the development of IP-based networks and the future internet, through cooperation agreements, as appropriate, in order to increase the role of ITU in Internet governance so as to ensure maximum benefits to the global community;
    • 2 that the sovereign and legitimate interests, as expressed and defined by each country, in diverse ways, regarding decisions affecting their ccTLDs, need to be respected and ensured, upheld and addressed via flexible and improved frameworks and mechanisms;
    • 3 to continue to undertake activities on international Internet related public policy issues within ITU’s mandate, including in CWG-Internet, in collaboration and cooperation with relevant organizations and stakeholders, as appropriate, with special attention to the needs of developing countries2;
    • 4 to continue the CWG-Internet activities as listed in the relevant Council resolutions,
  • instructs the Secretary-General
    • 1 to continue to take a significant role in international discussions and initiatives on the management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU, taking into account future developments of the Internet, the purposes of the Union and the interests of its membership as expressed in its instruments, resolutions and decisions;
    • 2 to take the necessary steps for ITU to continue to play a facilitating role in the coordination of international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, as expressed in §35 d) of the Tunis Agenda, interacting as necessary with other intergovernmental organizations in these domains;
    • 3 in line with § 78 a) of the Tunis Agenda, to continue to contribute as appropriate to the work of IGF, should the mandate of the IGF be extended by the United Nations General Assembly;
    • 4 to continue to take the necessary steps for ITU to play an active and constructive role in the process towards enhanced cooperation as expressed in § 71 of the Tunis Agenda;
    • 5 to continue to take the necessary steps in ITU’s own internal process towards enhanced cooperation on international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet as expressed in § 71 of the Tunis Agenda, involving all stakeholders, in their respective roles and responsibilities;
    • 6 to report annually to the Council on the activities undertaken on these subjects and to submit proposals as appropriate, and, after the endorsement of this report by Member States through consultation procedures in force, to submit the report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations;
    • 7 to continue to disseminate, as appropriate, the reports of CWG-Internet to all relevant international organizations and stakeholders actively involved in such matters for their consideration in their policy-making processes,
  • instructs the Directors of the Bureaux
    • 1 to contribute to CWG-Internet concerning the activities undertaken by their Bureaux which are relevant to the work of the group;
    • 2 to provide assistance, within the Union’s expertise, and within available resources, as appropriate, in cooperation with relevant organizations, to Member States, if so requested, in order to achieve their stated policy objectives with respect to the management of Internet domain names and addresses, other Internet resources and international Internet connectivity, within the remit of ITU, such as capacity building, availability and costs related to infrastructure, and with respect to Internet-related public policy issues, as stated in the annex to Council Resolution 1305, which identifies the role of CWG-Internet, within their mandate;
      • 2 to provide assistance, within the Union’s expertise, and within available resources, as appropriate, in cooperation with relevant organizations, to Member States, if so requested, in order to achieve their stated policy objectives with respect to the management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources, and with respect to Internet-related public policy issues, as stated in the annex to Council Resolution 1305, which identifies the role of the Dedicated Group, within their mandate;
    • 3 to liaise and to cooperate with the regional telecommunication organizations pursuant to this resolution,
  • instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
    • 1 to ensure that the ITU-T performs its role in technical issues, and to continue to contribute ITU-T expertise and to liaise and cooperate with appropriate entities on issues related to the management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU, such as IP version 6 (IPv6), ENUM and IDNs, as well as any other related technological developments and issues, including facilitating appropriate studies on these issues by relevant ITU-T study groups and other groups;
    • 2 in accordance with ITU rules and procedures, and calling upon contributions from the ITU membership, to continue to play a facilitating role in coordination and assistance in the development of public policy issues pertaining to Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU and their possible evolution;
    • 3 to work with Member States, Sector Members and relevant international organizations, as appropriate, on issues concerning Member States’ ccTLDs and related experiences;
    • 4 to report annually to the Council, and also to WTSA, on the activities undertaken and achievements on these subjects, including proposals for further consideration as appropriate,
  • instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
    • 1 to organize international and regional forums and carry out necessary activities, in conjunction with appropriate entities, to discuss policy, operational and technical issues on the Internet in general, and on the management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU in particular, including with regard to multilingualism, for the benefit of Member States, especially for developing countries, including the least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and countries with economies in transition, taking into consideration the content of the relevant resolutions of this conference, including this resolution, in addition to the content of the relevant resolutions of the world telecommunication development conference (WTDC);
    • 2 to continue promoting, through ITU-D programmes and study groups, the exchange of information, fostering debate and the development of best practices on Internet issues, and to continue to play a key role in outreach by contributing to capacity building, providing technical assistance and encouraging the involvement of developing countries, including LDCs, SIDS, LLDCs and countries with economies in transition, in international Internet forums and issues;
    • 3 to continue reporting annually to the Council and the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group, and also to WTDC, on the activities undertaken and achievements on these subjects, including proposals for further consideration as appropriate;
    • 4 to liaise with the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and to collaborate with other relevant organizations involved in the development and deployment of IP-based networks and the growth of the Internet, aiming to make available to Member States widely accepted best practices for the design, installation and operation of Internet exchange points (IXPs),
  • instructs the Council Working Group on international Internet-related public policy issues
    • 1 to consider and discuss the activities of the Secretary-General and Directors of the Bureaux in relation to the implementation of this resolution;
    • 2 to prepare ITU inputs into the above-mentioned activities as appropriate;
    • 3 to continue to identify, study and develop matters on international Internet-related public policy issues, taking into account relevant ITU resolutions,
  • instructs the Council
    • 1 to revise its Resolution 1344 to direct the CWG-Internet, limited to Member States, with open consultation to all stakeholders, and to conduct such open consultation according to the following guidelines:
      • • CWG-Internet will decide on the international Internet-related public policy issues for open consultation, drawing primarily from Council Resolution 1305;
      • • CWG-Internet should generally hold both open online consultation and physical open consultation meetings, with remote participation, within a reasonable period, prior to each CWG-Internet meeting;
      • • relevant inputs received from stakeholders will be submitted to CWG-Internet for consideration of the issues chosen for its next meeting,
    • 2 taking into account annual reports presented by the Secretary-General and the Directors of the Bureaux, to take appropriate measures in order to contribute actively to international discussions and initiatives related to issues on international management of Internet domain names and addresses and other Internet resources within the mandate of ITU;
    • 3 to consider the reports of CWG-Internet and take actions as appropriate;
    • 4 to report to the 2018 plenipotentiary conference on the activities undertaken and achievements on the objectives of this resolution, including proposals for further consideration as appropriate,
  • invites Member States
    • 1 to participate in the discussions on international management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses, and in the process towards enhanced cooperation on Internet governance and international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, so that worldwide representation in the debates can be ensured;
    • 2 to continue to participate actively in the discussions and development of public policy issues related to Internet resources, including international Internet connectivity, within the remit of ITU, such as capacity building, availability and costs related to infrastructure, domain names and addresses, their possible evolution and the impact of new usages and applications, cooperating with the relevant organizations, and to contribute to CWG-Internet and ITU study groups on related matters,
  • invites Member States and Sector Members
    • to seek the appropriate means to contribute to enhanced cooperation on international public policy issues relating to the Internet, in their respective roles and responsibilities.

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