Musing on Netmundial
Susan Ariel Aaronson, Research Professor, George Washington University
April 26, 2014
Netmundial, the multistakeholder meeting organized by the government of
Brazil, was an inspiring mess. On one hand, it was the place to be--a
Woodstock for internet activists and innovators. The Brazilian government
paid tribute to these individuals and used the opportunity to signal that it
intended to play a leading role in global Internet governance. On the other
hand, the Brazilian government did not clarify the objectives, strategy, and
desired outcomes for the April meeting. They did make it clear that the
conference would yield a declaration with two sections: principles and a road
map… But attendees were unclear as to how will policymakers use these
principles and road map? Did the organizers intend to create a road map that
could ensure that governments and business adhered to those principles?
On the day before the conference as well as conference day 1, I asked everyone
I could: Are we creating norms or just a process to move Internet governance
forward? Do governments sign the final document or do they nod in assent?
How will assent be determined and by whom? Are we (representatives of
business, academia, and civil society) speaking for ourselves or for groups we
supposedly represent? I received a multitude of different answers. Fellow
attendees—representatives of business, government, technical groups,
academia, and civil society were diverse, opinionated, and divided.
By day one, it became quite clear that governments were playing a leading role
in determining the language of the final principles and roadmap. And
representatives of some governments such as the U.S., Kenya, Brazil, the
Netherlands, and Germany as example, seemed very effective in working both
the process and outcomes. Government delegates from these countries spoke
frequently, issuing positive comments regarding NGO concerns, and
suggesting language that facilitated consensus.
As in any formal negotiation, attendees moved in and out. Groups of NGOs,
governments and businesses gathered in rooms near to but outside of the main
conference room, massaging the documents.
