I recently attended in Brussels a European Parliament hearing on Internet governance and whether Europe should sponsor its own Internet Governance Forum.The United Nations Internet Governance Forum is a great place to discuss everything from privacy and censorship to copyright and freedom of information. At the latest one held in Hyderabad, a rich dialogue developed on the future of the net. It's an important step forward for the European Parliament to address this issue. In my opinion, three important ingredients are required to compose a recipe for a successful forum. First, the discussion must include a broad set of stakeholders, not just officials, but also members of civil society, representatives from industry and technical experts. A good model is the OECD's work on the Internet which includes a wide range of representation from Civil Society and the Internet Technical Community, from privacy organizations and the Internet society as well as from businesses. The multiple stakeholder model model has served the Internet exceedingly well. Second, let's avoid requiring a lowest-common denominator consensus and let's avoid replicating existing decision and policy making processes nationally or in the European Union. What is needed, we believe, is lively and confrontational discussions that come up with new ideas on how to keep the net open and free, give users transparency and choice and unleash the economic growth the Internet can bring. Third, European parliamentarians should participate in any forum. Their presence would help safe-guard the European values of open networks, freedom of speech, freedom of information, and free trade. The last thing we would like to see from a European Internet Governance Forum would be moves to enact trade barriers limiting global electronic commerce. It is also important to safeguard the innovative and open role of the Internet which benefits so many European companies. Internet governance faces several key challenges this year. After last year's meeting in Hyderabad, we're looking forward to this year's gathering in Cairo. Let's hope there will be record European parliament participation. The UN's Internet Government Forum is scheduled to come to Europe - Vilnius - in 2010. If Europeans work together, we then will have a great chance to leave a lasting contribution to the future of the Internet. Posted by Dr. Nicklas Lundblad, Public Policy and Government Affairs, Sweden
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