IGF Athens 2006
pacificIT.org was involved in two Workshops at IGF Athens 2006:
- Building Local Access organised by ISOC (The Internet Society) and GIPI (Global Internet Policy Initiative). More information on this Workshop is available |here|
- ICT to achieve MDGs organised by PICISOC (The Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society). More information on this Workshop is available |here|
The inaugural IGF, Athens 2006, was hosted by the Government of Greece in Athens from 30 October to 2 November 2006. The issues on the agenda for IGF 2006 were divided into four main categories: Openness, Security, Diversity and Access. A brief description of each category follows (as publised on the IGF website).
Openness
Openness is one of the key founding principles and characteristics of the Internet. The open nature of the Internet is part of its uniqueness, and its importance as a tool to advance human development. Internet users trade ideas and information and build on both, thus increasing the wealth of knowledge for everyone.. Never have so many people been able to communicate and therefore to express themselves (i.e. to hold, receive and impart information and ideas regardless of frontiers) as richly and as clearly at such a low cost as they can today using the Internet. The communications possibilities of the Internet are enhanced over any previous medium as they allow for rapid communication by voice, printed text, picture and video across the same network. Access to knowledge and empowering people with information and knowledge that is available on the Internet is a critical objective of an inclusive Information Society and to continued economic and social development. This session will focus on freedom of expression and the free flow of information, ideas and knowledge in the online context and the enabling environment that is best suited to promote these principles.
Security
The Internet has the potential to enable all users to communicate and access and generate a wealth of information and opportunity. Achieving its full potential to support commercial and social relationships requires an environment that promotes and ensures users' trust and confidence and provides a stable and secure platform for commerce. Internet security is a key element of building confidence and trust among users of ICTs.
Each new device and interconnected network increases the capacity for users and their communities to make beneficial economic and social advances. However, each of them also increase the exposure of individuals and organizations to potential harm. Threats such as phishing, malicious viruses and other forms of cybercrime and spam undermine users' confidence, while security and privacy breaches threaten users' trust.
Solving these problems depends on a heightened awareness and understanding among all stakeholders of the importance of a secure Internet infrastructure. It will involve a combination of initiatives, first and foremost awareness raising among the different stakeholders at all levels dealing with legislative, regulatory, law enforcement, and technological aspects. It also requires enhancing the users’ abilities to control their data and personal information. One major concern is to find the appropriate balance between ease of use and openness and security. There is also need for a balance between ensuring freedom of expression, protecting privacy and fighting crime. Ultimately, the responsibility for ensuring Internet security rests with all stakeholders, including the end users, and requires cooperation among them.
Diversity
By now almost one billion people use the Internet. Many of these people cannot read or write in English and they use languages that do not use scripts derived from the Latin alphabet. They would like to use the Internet in their own language and with their native script. A multilingual Internet will foster an inclusive, democratic, legitimate, respectful, and locally empowering Information Society.
A key element of promoting multilingualism on the Internet is creating the availability of information in local languages. Building the capacity of both individuals and institutions in creating this local content is one of the key development issues to be discussed under this theme. Additionally, many task specific multilingual applications need to be developed.
The domain names are incapable of displaying characters not contained in the English alphabet. The challenge is to develop Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) while preserving the security and stability of the Domain Name System (DNS). This is a difficult technological and policy challenge.
Access
Even if by now almost one billion people have access to the Internet, it should be borne in mind that five billion people remain without access to this important tool for economic growth and social development. Access may therefore be the single most important issue to most people, in particular in developing countries. Access is vital to empowering more and more individuals to explore the powerful resource that the Internet represents.
There are several factors that condition the availability and affordability of the Internet. The right regulatory environment at national level can do much to foster the deployment and growth of the Internet. National policies can encourage investment in capacity and growth, support the local exchange of traffic including the establishment of local Internet exchange points (IXPs)). They can create a favourable legal climate for supporting e-commerce, promote the extension of broadband networks, and encourage competition in the ISP industry that lowers prices. Another element that influences the availability and affordability of the Internet are international connectivity prices and costs. Interconnection standards and agreements, including peering arrangements, are critical to the successful functioning of the Internet and for maintaining its end-to-end and cost effective availability, and reliability.