Internet governance: A grand collaboration

We are witnessing the emergence of a new paradigm of global society. It is based on networking in pursuit of common interests, and on prevalence of non-hierarchical, multilateral and multi-stakeholder approaches. The Internet is perhaps the best embodiment of this new model, as well as its most potent tool. As the Internet becomes part of the fabric of our lives and as its special becomes increasingly global, harnessing its full potential may require a rethinking of how it should be governed. It is becoming increasingly important to think of inclusive, collaborative approaches that will enhance the Internet's impact on the achievement of our development goals, and thus improve lives of people everywhere. The Internet's potential to empower individuals, communities and countries needs to be effectively harnessed and become a tool for all peoples to extract value from globalization rather than watch globalization extract value from them. But in leveraging and harnessing the Internet's potential, we must remain true to its original principle of freedom. The Geneva Phase of the World Summit on Information Society called for an international management of the Internet and a fuller understanding of the wide range of issues associated with setting up its governance mechanisms. It recognized that this task needs to involve all major stakeholders - governments, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations.