Mon 12 Nov 2007
Politically incorrect
12 11 2007I’m here, struggling with mi tie, seating among hundreds of representatives – well dressed – of several countries and international organisations, in a big conference room during the opening session of the IGF I presented in the previous post. Well, I know I have to speak a bit about Rio de Janeiro but I’ll try to do it later from my hotel room, if I find the time.
The opening ceremony and session were like a ‘défilé’ of many ministers and heads of several organisations thanking the organizers of the event before reviewing beginning of the process since when it started during one of the UN meetings in order to see how it is possible to bridge the digital divide. The most important part was when one of the representatives of the Brazilian government (I think so) asked in his short presentation the ICANN to leave the management of internet for another more open organisation under the UN wings. ICANN president spoke an hour after and avoided making any comments related to that. APC, ISOC, ICC, and many other country ministers presented also their views and values in the ICT4D field. The list of speakers is here and here
I liked also the fact that, in the agenda, Arriette, the executive director of the APC, spoke just after the actual secretary general if the ITU, Hamadoun Touré, and she managed to thank him even if, few years ago, when he was elected in this position, she wasn’t really happy with that and I remember seeing once online a long list of reasons she presented explaining here disagreement in this point. Irony of fate.
Another speech I enjoyed, as usual, the one of Adama Samassékou, who excels always in using French language to present another vision of the issues with a very positive perspective. I think that all Africans have to learn from him because wherever he goes, he gives a good image of African visions in all the international matters. .
Hi Marouan,
I'm glad to see how far you've gone but to be honest with you I won't lost my time in Rio struggling with a tie. It seems that they have the best beach in the world there
Any way I don't think that switching the governance of internet to the UN would change any thing, I no more beleave in the UN anyway. As long as the veto system continue to exist you can't expect big thing from it.
Intenet? What are you talking about? Ah yes I rememember that thing. It, a 90's network where every body could freely express his opinion share music books softwares and no body was making money out of it expect your telephony company.
Man internet is dead since the invention of amazone. Now all you jab get from it is mmm... let see nothing.
Freesoftware? Maybe, but I'm pretty sure that we are facing the same destiny of internet.
Good luck man and enjoy your time.
PS:
Shouldn't I put this in my blog and linked it here whith a "full story" link so I could collect some AdSense dollars :P
I'm afraid I have to agree on the UN question. I was never a fan of the anti-ICANN argument anyway, and I definitely don't think the UN would be an efficient overseer. I think we all have to give the US more credit than we do for how they run the web; I mean they could have abused this power many times over the last few years, but haven't yet, and IG has hardly been mentioned in the 'fight against terror' (!!).
I agree with the previous comment's tone on the UN veto system also. If the power system in the UN was more efficient then maybe they would be in a better position to manage something like the internet.
nice post. keep post like this...