World Telecommunication
Policy Forum 2009
on convergence and other emerging policy issues |
Resolution 102
(Rev. Antalya, 2006)
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 (Antalya, 2006),
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) 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), are of crucial
importance as an important engine for growth in the world economy in
the twenty-first century;
c) that
the development of the Internet is essentially market-led and driven
by private and government initiatives;
d) that the
private sector is playing a very important role in the expansion and
development of the Internet, for example through investments in
infrastructures and services;
e) that
the 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;
f) the
role played by ITU in the successful organization of the two phases
of the World Summit on the Information Society (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;
g) 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;
h) 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 Internet,
and that the need for development of public policy by governments in
consultation with all stakeholders is also recognized,
recognizing
a) that ITU
is dealing with technical and policy issues related to IP-based
networks including the Internet and evolution to NGN;
b) that ITU
performs worldwide coordination of a number of radiocommunications-
and telecommunications-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);
f) the
relevant WSIS outcomes in §§ 29 to 82 of the Tunis Agenda concerning
Internet governance;
g) that
Member States represent the interests of the population of the
country or territory for which a ccTLD has been delegated;
h) 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) to 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 and
widely accessible to all citizens 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
should commence a process towards enhanced cooperation involving all
stakeholders, proceeding as quickly as possible and responsive to
innovation, as one of the relevant organizations referred to in § 71
of the Tunis Agenda;
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
the decision to convene the fourth World
Telecommunication Policy Forum (Decision 9 (Antalya, 2006) of this
conference),
resolves to instruct 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
members 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 § 78a of the Tunis Agenda,
to continue to contribute as appropriate to the work of IGF;
4 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 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 as a concrete step, to organize
consultations on these issues among the ITU membership and other
relevant stakeholders, in order to prepare and submit proposals,
based on those consultations and contributions from the ITU
membership, to the 2007 session of the Council, through the Working
Group on WSIS (WG-WSIS);
7 to report annually to the Council on the
activities undertaken on these subjects and to submit proposals as
appropriate,
instructs the Directors of the Bureaux
1 to contribute to the consultations under
resolves to instruct to the Secretary-General 6 above;
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 within the mandate of ITU;
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 Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (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 ITU members, 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 and Sector
Members, recognizing the activities of other appropriate entities,
on issues concerning Member States’ ccTLDs and related experiences;
4 to facilitate the exchange of technical
information in order to assist the ITU membership to participate in
the consultations referenced under resolves to instruct the
Secretary-General 6 above;
5 to report annually to the Council, and
also to the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, 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, for the period 2006‑2010, 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, least developed
countries and small island developing states, and Sector Members;
2 to promote, through the ITU
Telecommunication Development Sector 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, least developed countries and small island developing
states in international Internet forums and issues;
3 to report annually to the Council and
the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group, and also to the
World Telecommunication Development Conference, on the activities
undertaken and achievements on these subjects, including proposals
for further consideration as appropriate,
invites the Council Working Group on WSIS
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,
instructs the Council
1 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;
2 to review the activities of WG-WSIS;
3 to report to the 2010 plenipotentiary
conference on the activities undertaken and achievements on these
subjects, 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 domain names and addresses, their
possible evolution and the impact of new usages and applications,
cooperating with the relevant organizations, and to contribute in
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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