Glossary of Internet Governance Terms & Reference Text

Acronyms
Acronym
Full Name
ASO ICANN's Address Supporting Organization
IANA Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICANN GAC ICANN Government Advisory Committee
IETF Internet Engineering Task Force
IGF Internet Governance Forum
ISOC Internet Society
ITU International Telecommunication Union
ITU-T ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector
NRO Number Resource Organization
WGIG Working Group on Internet Governance
WSIS World Summit on the Information Society

Reference Text

Recognition of technical and academic communities, Paragraphs 35 and 36 of the Tunis Agenda:

35. We reaffirm 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 this respect it is recognized that:

  1. Policy authority for Internet-related public policy issues is the sovereign right of States. They have rights and responsibilities for international Internet-related public policy issues.
  2. The private sector has had, and should continue to have, an important role in the development of the Internet, both in the technical and economic fields.
  3. Civil society has also played an important role on Internet matters, especially at community level, and should continue to play such a role.
  4. Intergovernmental organizations have had, and should continue to have, a facilitating role in the coordination of Internet-related public policy issues.
  5. International organizations have also had and should continue to have an important role in the development of Internet-related technical standards and relevant policies.

36. We recognize the valuable contribution by the academic and technical communities within those stakeholder groups mentioned in paragraph 35 to the evolution, functioning and development of the Internet.

Call for Public Policy Development, Paragraph 70 of the Tunis Agenda:

70. Using relevant international organizations, such cooperation should include the development of globally-applicable principles on public policy issues associated with the coordination and management of critical Internet resources. In this regard, we call upon the organizations responsible for essential tasks associated with the Internet to contribute to creating an environment that facilitates this development of public policy principles.

Mandate for Enhanced Cooperation, Paragraph 71 of the Tunis Agenda:

71. The process towards enhanced cooperation, to be started by the UN Secretary-General, involving all relevant organizations by the end of the first quarter of 2006, will involve all stakeholders in their respective roles, will proceed as quickly as possible consistent with legal process, and will be responsive to innovation. Relevant organizations should commence a process towards enhanced cooperation involving all stakeholders, proceeding as quickly as possible and responsive to innovation. The same relevant organizations shall be requested to provide annual performance reports.

The mandate of the IGF, Paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda:

72. We ask the UN Secretary-General, in an open and inclusive process, to convene, by the second quarter of 2006, a meeting of the new forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue—called the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).The mandate of the Forum is to:

  1. Discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet;
  2. Facilitate discourse between bodies dealing with different cross-cutting international public policies regarding the Internet and discuss issues that do not fall within the scope of any existing body;
  3. Interface with appropriate inter-governmental organizations and other institutions on matters under their purview;
  4. Facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, and in this regard make full use of the expertise of the academic, scientific and technical communities;
  5. Advise all stakeholders in proposing ways and means to accelerate the availability and affordability of the Internet in the developing world;
  6. Strengthen and enhance the engagement of stakeholders in existing and/or future Internet governance mechanisms, particularly those from developing countries;
  7. Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make recommendations;
  8. Contribute to capacity building for Internet governance in developing countries, drawing fully on local sources of knowledge and expertise;
  9. Promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS principles in Internet governance processes;
  10. Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical Internet resources;
  11. Help to find solutions to the issues arising from the use and misuse of the Internet, of particular concern to everyday users;
  12. Publish its proceedings.