Hi all, I echo Nick’s warnings about the need to engage with diplomats and share our vision. Although many on this list are long-term supporters of the multistakeholder model and the WSIS consensus, people new to the topic may not perceive the ideas we see in the RCC’s submission as unfeasible as we do, especially if giving some concessions in this field will let them advance other objectives. Let’s also bear in mind that, besides their level of expertise, diplomats usually deal with several topics in parallel, so WSIS+20—and the Internet—may not be at the core of their priorities. Best, Isra Isra Rosas, Director, Partnerships and Internet Development Internet Society From: Ashton-Hart, Nick via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org> Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM To: Dr Jimson Olufuye <jolufuye@kontemporary.net.ng>, Dr. Joseph Lorenzo Hall <hall@isoc.org> Cc: Pari Esfandiari via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org>, Tatiana Tropina <tropina@isoc.org> Subject: [wsis20] Re: RCC Pushes for State-Led Internet Governance Ahead of WSIS+20 Review FYI all, while I suspect all of us on this list fundamentally disagree with the Russian position, they aren’t without supporters in New York – including China, though they’re much more subtle than Russia. As someone based in New York who covers digital economy policy here, the policy leads handling the WSIS review are almost without exception entirely new to the subject. We have a very significant and heavy lift required to educate the diplomatic corps here on how critical it is that CIRs stay as they are, and respond to the criticisms that get levelled as well as explain why simple sounding solutions – like intergovernmental control of CIRs – aren’t really a solution to any problem on the Internet today. I look forward to continued dialogue, and I’m sure seeing many long-time connections along the way to the review conclusion in December! Best, Nick Nick Ashton-Hart Senior Director, Digital Economy Policy APCO Temporary Address: 275 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor New York, NY 10001 USA (t) +1 202 778 1000 (m) +1 202 779 1072<tel:+12027791072> nashtonhart@apcoworldwide.com<mailto:nashtonhart@apcoworldwide.com> Learn more about APCO on our website<https://apcoworldwide.com/?utm_campaign=email-signature&utm_source=apco&utm_...> Book time to meet with me here<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/ce911a0f9fa543dd9459b3a1392da25e@...> On 2/5/25, 5:20 PM, "Dr Jimson Olufuye via wsis20" <wsis20@icann.org> wrote: Hi all, Notwithstanding the misuse of the "public core" phrase, the RCC proposal is dead on arrival. It is against the spirit of the Geneva Declaration - WSIS Action Lines, the Tunis Agenda and the Pact for the Future - GDC, for multi-stakeholder engagement on Internet Governance and digital policy processes. Let's remain vigilant though. Thanks, Pari for the highlight. Cheers, JO On 2025-02-05 19:50, Dr. Joseph Lorenzo Hall via wsis20 wrote:
@Tatiana Tropina on our team pointed out yesterday the misuse of the term “public core” in the RCC submission.
That is, as folks here are likely aware of, the "public core" is a term originally defined by the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) to refer to the essential technical infrastructure of the Internet, such as routing, naming systems, and physical transmission media. However, the RCC's submission uses the term more broadly and ambiguously, suggesting that it includes "critical resources" that must be managed and controlled, which rings a lot like discussions around “critical infrastructures” under the purview of governments.
This interpretation could justify greater government intervention in Internet infrastructure and operations, undermining the multistakeholder model and Internet freedom. It's important to note that the GCSC's definition was developed through a multistakeholder process and is widely accepted by the technical community.
The RCC's misuse of the "public core" concept is. We need to be vigilant in challenging this misuse and ensuring that the "public core" is understood and protected as the essential technical infrastructure of the Internet, not a wedge for multilateral dominance.
Best, Joe
--
From: Wolfgang Kleinwächter via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org> Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 08:40 To: Pari Esfandiari <pariesfandiari@gmail.com>, Pari Esfandiari via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org> Subject: [wsis20] Re: RCC Pushes for State-Led Internet Governance Ahead of WSIS+20 Review
Thanks Paris for pulling the RCC proposal into the broader public.
It is a tricky proposal. It includes some reasonable points, but it has a hidden agenda. It is misleading and confuses an uninformed public. Under Section 3 it argues: "The system of governance of global critical infrastructure must be equitable, neutral and immune to geopolitical challenges. The current multistkakeholder Internet Governance system does not fulfil these requirement." The first sentence needs all the support. The second sentence is not true.
After the IANA transition (2016) all stakeholders participate in ICANN as "equals" in their specific roles. The UN principle of "sovereign equality of states", a corner stone in international law and the UN charter, is fully resepcted and implemented in ICANN´s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). No single government has exceptional rights in ICANN. All governments are on "equal footing", as called for in the Tunis Agenda. And ICANN demonstrated, that it is "neutral and immune to geopolitical challenges".
A good example is from 2022. When Russia started its war against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Minister for Digital Policy wrote a letter to ICANN and was calling for the removal of the .ru. .rf (cyrillic) and .su top level domain zone files from the A-Root Server to disconnect Russia from the global Internet as a retaliation measure. Göran Marby, who was ICANN´s CEO in 2022, made clear in his answer, that ICANN will support Ukraine to remain connected to the Internet in difficult war times and will support the Internet community in Ukraine, but according to its bylaws and articles of incorproation, ICANN is not in a position to remove any TLD Zone Files from the A root server for political reasons, because ICANN is neutral and has to be "immune against geopolitical challenges".
To change this system would lead to a "system of governance of global critical infrastructure" which would loose its neutrality, become politisiezed and will be pulled into geopolitical conflicts.
Wolfgang
Pari Esfandiari via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org> hat am 05.02.2025 11:03 CET geschrieben:
This review of the RCC’s submission in the lead-up to the WSIS+20 examines its call for a state-led approach to Internet governance and its implications for the multistakeholder model. It explores how the RCC frames its arguments around digital sovereignty, interoperability, and regulatory frameworks while assessing the potential impact on global Internet governance structures, innovation, and access. Additionally, the article considers the broader geopolitical context of the submission and its alignment—or divergence—with international efforts to maintain an open, inclusive, and secure digital environment.
Cheers,
Pari
--
Pari Esfandiari
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