By Baher Esmat
Should you seek permission from anyone to build a website, or launch a new business online? Absolutely not. The Internet is based on the fundamental principle of openness, striving to connect people, and promoting innovation.
From an engineering perspective, the Internet infrastructure is based on an open architecture that enables interconnection between various types of networks. Essentially, the Internet is one vast network made up of many smaller networks. Furthering this idea of openness, it is built on a set of open, non-proprietary protocols and standards that can freely be accessed and used by anyone. Those standards are developed through open processes and in forums such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), where anyone with the knowledge and expertise can contribute to the protocol development process.
Likewise, policies pertaining to the underlying system of unique identifiers, the names and the numbers that are essential for the operation of the Internet, are also developed in an open, and bottom-up manner at regional and global fora, such as the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This approach of policy development has evolved into what has come to be known as multistakeholder model of Internet governance, which not only addresses the policy aspects of the Internet’s technical functions, but also tackles a broad range of other policy issues in today’s digital landscape.
The openness of the Internet is also manifested in how it enables people to communicate and share information freely. It encourages individuals to innovate, start and grow businesses and offer services that extend beyond geographical boundaries in an unprecedented manner.
It is no overstatement to say that openness is the very foundation of the Internet. Imagine what the Internet would become if this core concept of openness were eliminated, or if these smaller networks splintered off – a situation often referred to as “fragmentation”. Online businesses created with the aim of being reached from anywhere in the world would only be able to reach a fraction of the Internet population. Such fragmentation would severely undermine the true value of the Internet – its ability to facilitate communication that transcends boundaries and borders.
Right before our eyes, the Internet is rapidly evolving, and so is its impact on every facet of our lives, individually and collectively as societies. This means the rules and procedures governing the Internet need to be agile enough to keep pace with its dynamic nature. Since the Internet, as we know it today, is the result of ongoing collaboration and contribution from countless individuals, organizations, and groups – often referred to as “stakeholders” in the context of Internet governance – its governance should also reflect the cooperation and participation of those who affect and are affected by it. This approach of multistakeholder governance is a crucial aspect of the openness that ensures the Internet’s continued growth and sustainability.
In 1998, the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference adopted a resolution to convene a World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). The WSIS, took place over two phases one in Geneva (2001-2003) and the second in Tunis (2003-2005) and was the platform where Internet governance was discussed internationally for the first time with the participation of stakeholders from governments, private sector, civil society, technical and academic community, and international organizations.
“In managing, promoting, and protecting its presence in our lives, we need to be no less creative than those who invented it. Clearly, there is a need for governance, but that does not necessarily mean that it has to be done in the traditional way, for something that is so very different,” said former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, when speaking about the Internet during the second phase of WSIS. Those profound words inspired the creation of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG), which was formed by the UN Secretary General in 2004 to develop a working definition of Internet governance.
One key proposal that emerged from the WGIG was the creation of a forum on all Internet public policy issues. In 2005, Member States convened in Tunis and adopted the proposal to establish the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to serve as a global multistakeholder forum for dialogue on Internet governance.
Nearly two decades have passed since the IGF was created, and the Internet landscape has changed dramatically since then. The Internet of the early 2000s, when its governance was a hot topic of debate at the UN, is different from the one we use today. While its underlying routing and addressing systems have advanced, this remains largely invisible to the average user. What is evident though is the shift in how the Internet is used. A clear example that highlights how much the digital landscape has transformed is the fact that twenty years ago social media, smartphones and mobile apps were almost non-existent. Fast forward to today, Internet governance has evolved from a matter of debate among a group of expert stakeholders to become a global geopolitical issue with large corporates striving to keep the regulations to a minimum and governments seeking to assert control over their digital assets.
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the WSIS and the IGF. UN Member States will convene to review the progress made on the WSIS outcomes and decide whether to renew the mandate of the IGF. The WSIS+20 review process is already underway, led by the UN’s Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). Parallel to the WSIS+20 review, but closely influencing the 2025 negotiations, is the Global Digital Compact (GDC)—an initiative proposed in the UN Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda. The GDC aims to establish a framework for a digital future that is open, inclusive, and safe for everyone. At the time of writing, Member States are meeting in New York at the Summit of the Future. This Summit brings together world leaders to reach consensus on the Pact of the Future which includes the Global Digital Compact. If adopted by Member States, the Global Digital Compact will be one of the key outcomes of the Summit and will feed into the WSIS+20 review in 2025.
All I hope is that, as Member States make crucial decisions about our digital future, they adopt an approach that is open and inclusive. I hope they actively seek expert input from all relevant stakeholders. It is also essential they recognize that without the openness of the Internet and the multistakeholder processes evolved over the years to guide the development of standards and policies related to some of the most critical parts of its infrastructure, we would not have the single global Internet we have today. This Internet now connects more than five billion people and supports a digital economy valued at around $20 trillion—an economy projected to double in the next five years.
About the Author
Baher Esmat is the ICANN Regional Vice President for stakeholder engagement in the Middle East, and Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Regional office in Istanbul. In his role, Esmat oversees ICANN’s engagement in the MEA region and facilitates collaboration with stakeholders to fulfill ICANN’s strategic objectives at the regional level.
Esmat has been involved in Internet technical and governance issues for over two decades. Prior to ICANN, he spent over three years with the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), where he served as Telecom Planning Manager spearheading various projects aiming at expanding Internet access at the national level. Before MCIT, Esmat worked for Newbridge Networks as a Systems Consultant and was part of the sales support team providing technical consultation and developing solutions for clients across the Middle East. Esmat began his career as a Systems Engineer at Egypt’s Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) where he was part of the team that helped bring the Internet to Egypt.
Esmat is a founding member of the Egypt ISOC Chapter. He also served on several Internet governance related groups including the UN Working Group on Internet Governance, the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development Working Group on IGF Improvements, and the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Committee (MAG).
Esmat holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Cairo University, and a master’s degree in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo.
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