20. Nov 2008
09:00 - 12:00

Internet Governance Forum 2008: A European Perspective

European Parliament Strasbourg
Allée du Printemps
67070 Strasbourg
Phone: +33 (0)388 17 4001
Fax: +33 (0)388 17 5184
Email: epstrasbourg@europarl.europa.eu

Link to the organizer
URL of event

Discussion / Debate / Lecture

IT & Telecommunication

Registration required

European Parliament Room Louise Weiss N1.3
Strasbourg

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With over a billion users world-wide, the Internet is the most important infrastructure of the information age which influences society, business and technology on the global as well as on the local level. The Internet Governance Forum, one of the main outcomes of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of internet governance and will have its third meeting in Hyderabad/India in December 2008. The workshop is intended to stimulate efficient and effective discussion among experts on key topics and to provide expert advice and recommendations to the EP ad hoc delegation in order to prepare its input and position vis-à-vis the third IGF meeting. The workshop will provide a forum for invited independent experts and participants to exchange views, analytical research and visions on the political, economic, social and legal issues of Internet governance. The crucial aim is to examine how global governance arrangements are being defined around specific Internet policy issues. Faced with the convergence of telecommunication, broadcasting and information technologies the workshop looks toward analysing the Internet governance issues within the broader perspective of past development, present trends, and future prospects. All discussions and results from the workshop will be compiled into a report and communicated to all interested MEPs and participants at the workshop. Preliminary Draft Agenda Welcoming address and opening remarks - MEP Catherine Trautmann, head of the EP ad hoc delegation to the third IGF meeting. SESSION 1: INTERNET GOVERNANCE & DOMAIN NAMES: THE WAY FORWARD The process of introduction of new generic Top Level Domains (TLDs) and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) will open up the Internet turning it into a truly global and multilingual tool, bringing new opportunities for Internet users and providers to develop new services as well as new challenges for existing registries, registrars and ISPs. After years of debate, ICANN reform has made significant progress, but that some key areas need to be further improved in order to complete the transition to an agreed model of multi-stakeholder coordination of the Internet’s unique identifiers. This session aims to analyse important aspects of the current debate and to explore different alternatives for managing the DNS namespace. 09:10 Presentation by Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Professor for Internet Policy and Regulation, Institute of Information and Media Studies, University of Aarhus, a former member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance, How the Domain Name System is evolving? Who are the potential actors for the global governance - an extended ICANN, ITU, etc...?; What are the legal, operational, business and political issues of the ongoing reform? What is the EU position on the three question areas identified in the transition action plan? What is the future of ICANN with the completion of the Joint Project Agreement (JPA)?; How to achieve broad representation of global Internet communities? How to promote cultural and linguistic diversity on the internet? What are the benefits and new challenges resulting from the creation of new and multilingual top-level domains (TLDs)?; How to ensure that the security, stability and interoperability of the DNS is maintained? How to minimize the risks of domain name testing, cybersquatting, and consumer confusion? 09:30 Questions and answers session SESSION 2: TRANSITION FROM IPV4 TO IPV6: SUCCESS & CHALLENGES IPv6 (Internet Protocol, version 6) is the next version of the Internet Protocol, capable of eliminating the risks and limitations associated with the current version of the IPv4 protocol and better addressing the emerging needs of the information society characterised by a proliferation of new networked devices. This session will explore the level of IPv6 take-up in Europe and the ways to achieve interoperability for the period of co-existence between IPv4 and IPv6 as well as to identify the remaining challenges, bottlenecks and security implications of IPv6 deployment. The crucial aim is to provide appropriate strategic recommendations suggesting the way forward and the actions to be initiated by the various stakeholders - regulators, standardisation bodies, ICT industries and end-users - to stimulate IPv6 connectivity. 09:45 Presentation by Prof. Rolf Weber Director of the European Law Institute and of the Centre for Information and Communication Law, Faculty of Law, University of Zürich, How long we will have enough IPv4 addresses? How to better allocate the remaining IPv4 address space and better re-use allocated address space?; What are the drivers and challenges for transitioning to IPv6 through a dual IPv4/IPv6 environment? Is there a risk to split the Internet into two address spaces?; What are the drivers and challenges of IPv6 deployment? What is the current status of IPv6 deployment? What lessons could be learned from successes and barriers that have been identified in IPv6 implementations to-date?; How to accelerate the transition from IPv4 to IPv6? What is the role of different stakeholders in the transition to IPv6? Are Internet-poor countries ready in upgrading themselves to IPv6? Is there a need for an EU initiative on this technology? 10:05 Questions and answers session SESSION 3: THE INTERNET OF THE FUTURE: ACHIEVING TRANSPARENCY, PLURALISM AND DEMOCRACY User generated content, Web 2.0, RFID, Internet of things are no more buzzwords only, but have already started to challenge the way some of us currently lead our lives and expect to live them in the future. Recognising the Internet as a key infrastructure in addressing mainstream policy challenges (e.g. ageing, health, environment, globalisation…), this session will present different approaches and perspectives on the scope and implications of the future Internet governance debate. It will identify the priority issues which should be addressed in the near future as well as bring into focus emerging issues which could be of importance to the future agenda of the IGF. Director, Research Centre on IT and Law (CRID), University of Namur, Belgium, How to address the vulnerability issues (Security, privacy, etc.)? What is the relationship between security, privacy and openness? Are there new rights in cyberspace? Is there a need for an Internet Bill of Rights?; What are the public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, stability and development of the Internet?; How to ensure the interaction between the Future Internet and the Internet of Things towards a new “post-Internet” network? What concrete actions should the European Union take at international level? 10:40 Questions and answers session SESSION 4: EUROPEAN INTERNET GOVERNANCE APPROACH: OVERVIEW BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION This session provides an opportunity for interactive discussion on the EU policy and activities in relation to internet governance. 10:55 Presentation by Michael Niebel Head of Unit, Internet; Network and Information Security, European Commission What are the key challenges of internet governance at European level?; What is the role of EU regarding internet governance? What are the policy orientations and activities of the European Commission?; What does European business expect from internet governance? Do we need more regulation for the Internet? What should a new policy framework look like?; How can the EU increase its impact and build a stronger presence of Europe in the design of the Internet? How can Europe ensure that its impact on defining internet governance will be felt? GENERAL DEBATE, 11:15 Debate with all the panellists - Which of the many issues involved in Internet governance should be given priority in the near-term? CONCLUSIONS: PRIORITY-SETTING AND WRAP-UP, 11:50 Closing remarks – MEP Catherine Trautmann.

MEP Catherine Trautmann, head of the EP ad hoc delegation to the third IGF meeting; Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Professor for Internet Policy and Regulation, Institute of Information and Media Studies, University of Aarhus, a former member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance; Prof. Rolf Weber, Director of the European Law Institute and of the Centre for Information and Communication Law, Faculty of Law, University of Zürich; Prof. Yves Poullet, Director, Research Centre on IT and Law (CRID), University of Namur, Belgium; Michael Niebel, Head of Unit, Internet; Network and Information Security, European Commission.