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WSIS-II/PC-3/DOC/5-E
involvement of indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and other vulnerable
groups.
44.
The forum should preferably be linked to the United Nations, in a form to be
defined. It would be better placed than existing Internet institutions to engage
developing countries in a policy dialogue. This would be an important factor in
itself, as the future growth of the Internet is expected to be mainly in developing
countries.
45.
The forum should be open to all stakeholders from all countries; any
stakeholder could bring up any Internet governance issue. The forum would be
reinforced by regional, subregional and national initiatives and supplemented by
open online mechanisms for participation. It should support the information and
communication technologies for development (ICT4D) agenda emerging from the
WSIS and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) processes. It could assume,
inter alia, the following functions:
• Interface with intergovernmental bodies and other institutions on matters
under their purview which are relevant to Internet governance, such as IPR,
e-commerce, trade in services and Internet/telecommunications
convergence.
• Identify emerging issues and bring them to the attention of the appropriate
bodies and make recommendations.
• Address issues that are not being dealt with elsewhere and make proposals
for action, as appropriate.
• Connect different bodies involved in Internet management where necessary.
• Contribute to capacity-building for Internet governance for developing
countries, drawing fully on local sources of knowledge and expertise.
• Promote and assess on an ongoing basis the embodiment of WSIS principles
in Internet governance processes.
46.
There was a clear understanding that such a forum should not be seen as a
continuation of the WGIG. Rather, it should be modelled on the WGIG open
consultations, supported by a very lightweight structure and guided by a multi-
stakeholder coordinating process, to be defined. Overlap or duplication with
existing institutions should be avoided and the best possible use should be made
of research and work carried out by others.
47.
The forum should develop partnerships with academic and research
institutions to access knowledge resources and expertise on a regular basis. These
partnerships should seek to reflect geographic balance and cultural diversity and
promote cooperation among all regions.
2.
Global public policy and oversight
48.
The WGIG recognized that any organizational form for the governance
function/oversight function should adhere to the following principles:
• No single Government should have a pre-eminent role in relation to
international Internet governance.
• The organizational form for the governance function will be multilateral,
transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of Governments, the
private sector, civil society and international organizations.
12
• The organizational form for the governance function will involve all
stakeholders and relevant intergovernmental and international organizations
within their respective roles.
13
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12
WSIS Declaration of Principles, para. 48 (WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/0004).
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