Internet governance in SL weak; multi-stakeholder approach needed: Prof. Gihan Dias

• Three-day National Internet Governance Forum by Internet Society of Sri Lanka kicks off

A top ICT academic yesterday said that although the internet is widely used in Sri Lanka, internet governance structures in the country are weak.

Delivering a lecture on the topic of ‘multi-stakeholder internet governance in Sri Lanka’, Prof. Gihan Dias, a board trustee of the global internet policy non-profit Internet Society, said that a multi-stakeholder approach was needed to address this issue, with the participation of the Government, industry, civil society, technical experts and end users.

Identifying internet governance priorities and setting up working groups in each key area should be the next step in strengthening internet governance in Sri Lanka, said Prof. Dias in his presentation, adding, “We need action, not just talk.”

Prof. Dias was speaking at a three-day National Internet Governance Forum organised by the Internet Society of Sri Lanka (ISocLK) covering topics that included cyber security and safer internet.

Better answers can be found for global questions when various experts and interests meaningfully take part in the discussion of internet governance, he further stated, adding that a multi-stakeholder approach was useful when decisions impact a wide and distributed range of people and interests.

A multi-stakeholder approach is needed where there are overlapping rights and responsibilities across sectors and borders, said Prof. Dias. It can also be useful if different forms of expertise are needed, such as technical expertise, and where legitimacy and acceptance of decisions directly impacts implementation.

Defining internet governance, Prof. Dias said in his presentation that it is the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures and programs that shape the evolution and use of the internet.

The internet is a unique global resource, one of the largest cooperative efforts ever undertaken by humankind, he said, adding that it connects nearly three billion users, driven by a shared aspiration toward global connectivity. It also facilitates much of the world’s communications and commerce and for many people the internet has become a fundamental part of life, he added.

Illustrating the importance of internet governance, Prof. Dias went on to say that such an endeavour must maintain the security, stability and resilience of the internet, support global interoperability and an open and collaborative architecture. It must also “sustain permission-less innovation and widening access and allow the internet to flourish as a dynamic yet reliable platform for limitless opportunity and innovation around the world.”

Prof. Dias spelt out four attributes of successful multi-stakeholder decision-making as identified by the Internet Society, namely inclusiveness and transparency, collective responsibility, effective decision making and implementation, collaboration through distributed and interoperable governance. 

When it comes to inclusiveness and transparency, said Prof. Dias, it must be considered whether those significantly affected by a decision-making process have a chance to be involved in it. Formal and practical barriers for entry, membership criteria and restrictions must also be taken into account. According to Prof. Dias, it is also imperative that stakeholders “understand the importance of transparency to inclusion, legitimacy, participation and quality of output.” Whether or not stakeholders are committed to transparency also needs to be examined, he said.

A sense of collective responsibility shared by all stakeholders for the future development of the internet as well as sharing the same goal of stewardship of a global public good are also important, he highlighted in his presentation.

Identifying other processes or organisations who work in the same space and connecting with them to share information through open dialogue can also be useful, said Prof. Dias, highlighting that stakeholders ought to “commit to respecting the roles of other processes  or organisations and be constructive and open minded about using their outputs.

In deliberating and making decisions, Prof. Dias promoted identifying other stakeholders and collaborating with them as well as using the right tools so stakeholders can “scale up creative conversations and make connections organically”, adding that sharing findings and adopting best practices of other processes or organisations can also play a part. (HK)