The United Nations Secretary General’s vision is to create a more inclusive and networked multilateral system, centered within the UN. The proposal centers around a “Global Digital Compact,” which aims to improve digital cooperation on issues such as data protection, connectivity, Internet fragmentation, and more. However, the initiative faces challenges from the deglobalization trend, national Internet regulation, and the growing competitiveness of countries like China in technology deployment. While the initiative has the potential to bring states together to shape a better future for the Internet, it may also mark the beginning of the end for the Internet’s multistakeholder model. Despite verbal assurance that the Compact is meant to be inclusive, the UN taking over Internet governance could result in limited participation for civil society, academia, and businesses, among other challenges. The multistakeholder model is essential for legitimizing multi-actor participation and promoting transparency. While the Digital Compact may help revitalize the Internet community, it must adhere to an inclusive, collaborative framework to succeed.
The United Nations’ new initiative to take a more active role in Internet governance discussions raises concerns, according to Konstantinos Komaitis, an internet policy expert and author. The UN’s process aims to put the organization at the center of discussions regarding the future of the internet. While the UN’s concern about the future of the internet may seem like a positive development, it also raises critical questions about the future of multistakeholder collaboration.
The internet’s design promises a decentralized structure where power is dispersed and participation is democratic and fair. The internet is supposed to resist the abuse of power, and its decentralized architecture ensures that power is not concentrated. However, as the internet ecosystem evolved and innovation led to new systems and applications, the market appeared to demand a certain degree of concentration, which raised concerns about the internet’s decentralized structure.
Konstantinos Komaitis points out that the UN’s initiative raises questions about the future of multistakeholder collaboration. The decentralized nature of the internet allowed for voluntary participation and open standards, which ensured an open technology, but the market demanded concentration. Therefore, the UN’s initiative to take a more active role in internet governance discussions needs to be approached with caution as it could lead to centralization of power and concentration.
In conclusion, while the UN’s initiative may seem like a positive development, it raises critical questions about the future of internet governance. The internet’s decentralized structure has ensured an open technology that is democratic and fair, but the market’s demand for concentration poses a challenge. The UN’s initiative needs to be approached with caution to prevent the concentration of power and maintain the internet’s decentralized structure.
The early decision to adopt an inclusive, multistakeholder model of governance for the internet has been critical to its evolution and growth, according to Konstantinos Komaitis, an internet policy expert and author. This collaborative approach has allowed a multitude of stakeholders to shape the internet’s future, and multistakeholder governance has sustained the internet through key milestones, including the transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) from the US government to the wider internet community in 2016.
However, the inclusive model of governance for the internet might be hanging in the balance after almost twenty years of multistakeholder governance. The United Nations (UN) has recently released a report titled “Our Common Agenda,” where the organization aims to “accelerate the implementation of existing agreements, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” to reintroduce a renewed globalized and cohesive international order.
While the UN’s initiative to reintroduce a renewed globalized and cohesive international order might seem like a positive development, it raises questions about the future of multistakeholder collaboration. The internet’s decentralized architecture, where power is dispersed, has ensured an open technology that is democratic and fair. However, the market’s demand for concentration poses a challenge. The UN’s initiative needs to be approached with caution to prevent the concentration of power and maintain the internet’s decentralized structure.
In conclusion, the multistakeholder model of governance for the internet has been critical to its evolution and growth. However, the UN’s recent initiative to reintroduce a renewed globalized and cohesive international order might put this inclusive model of governance in jeopardy. The internet’s decentralized structure has ensured an open technology that is democratic and fair, but the market’s demand for concentration poses a challenge. The UN’s initiative needs to be approached with caution to prevent the concentration of power and maintain the internet’s decentralized structure.
The Secretary General’s vision of a “more networked and inclusive multilateral system, anchored within the United Nations” is centered around a proposal for a “Global Digital Compact.” This proposal covers topical issues such as connectivity, Internet fragmentation, data protection, human rights, content moderation, and the regulation of artificial intelligence. The themes included in the proposal occupy the digital agendas of most countries worldwide and could determine the future of the internet as an open, inclusive, and global network of networks, depending on how we respond to them.
The timing of this initiative is compelling, with deglobalization creating seismic geopolitical shifts and national internet regulation reaching an all-time high. The internet is gradually becoming less global and less open. The hope is that the United Nations can play a role similar to the one it played nearly twenty years ago when the World Summit on Information Society process legitimized the creation of a wide community of actors to resolve issues pertinent to the information society.
In 2005, states managed to find a way to get to a place of consensus regarding the multistakeholder model, despite some resistance. The hope is that, twenty years later, governments will find a way to get to that place once again. However, the proposal for a “Global Digital Compact” may constitute the beginning of the end for the internet’s collaborative, multistakeholder model in practice. While the United Nations’ initiative has the potential to bring states together and help them shape a better future for the internet, it raises concerns about the future of the internet’s decentralized structure.
In conclusion, the Secretary General’s vision for a “more networked and inclusive multilateral system, anchored within the United Nations” is centered around a proposal for a “Global Digital Compact.” The themes included in the proposal occupy the digital agendas of most countries worldwide and could determine the future of the internet as an open, inclusive, and global network of networks. The United Nations’ initiative has the potential to bring states together and help them shape a better future for the internet, but it also raises concerns about the future of the internet’s decentralized structure. The hope is that governments will find a way to reach a place of consensus regarding the multistakeholder model and prevent the concentration of power to maintain the internet’s decentralized structure.
The United Nations’ “Global Digital Compact” proposal has the potential to shape the future of the internet. It seeks to cover issues such as connectivity, internet fragmentation, data protection, human rights, content moderation, and AI regulation, which are key themes on digital agendas around the world. However, the initiative raises concerns that it may be the beginning of the end for the internet’s collaborative, multistakeholder model. The Secretary General’s goal to channel internet policy issues through the UN’s multilateral system is alarming, as it may lead to a centralized system where the UN sits at the top. This is especially concerning given the current political reality, where protectionism and industrial policy are consuming the way states approach foreign relations. There is a growing division amongst otherwise allied countries, creating conditions for competing and conflicting policies that do little to advance the open internet.
Furthermore, the UN’s initiative raises questions about whether it will undermine the decentralized architecture of the internet. The internet was designed to reflect a structure where power would be dispersed, making room for democratic and fair participation. The multistakeholder model of governance has sustained the internet through key milestones, including the transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to the wider internet community in 2016. However, the proposal to centralize internet governance under the UN may result in a concentration of power that undermines the benefits of decentralized, collective wisdom.
While the UN’s “Global Digital Compact” proposal aims to address critical issues facing the internet, such as connectivity and content moderation, there are concerns about how it will affect the collaborative, multistakeholder model of governance. The UN already has mechanisms and organs in place to address issues such as AI regulation and data protection, which may indicate a move towards internet governance under the auspices of the UN’s multilateral system. It remains to be seen how the proposal will play out, especially given the current geopolitical reality and the growing division among allied countries.
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General has released a report titled “Our Common Agenda,” which outlines a “Global Digital Compact” that would improve digital cooperation. The compact aims to cover various issues, including connectivity, data protection, human rights, and artificial intelligence. The UN hopes to create a more networked and inclusive multilateral system anchored within the United Nations. However, the current political climate presents challenges, with protectionism and industrial policy consuming the way states approach foreign relations, causing divisions among allied countries, and leading to conflicting policies. This trend is gradually making the Internet less global and less open. In addition, the “Global Digital Compact” may be the beginning of the end for the collaborative, multistakeholder model of internet governance.
The UN’s “Global Digital Compact” has raised concerns about a centralized system where the UN sits at the top. The initiative’s goals are similar to those of the ITU’s and UNICEF’s GIGA project, the UNESCO’s guidelines for regulating digital platforms, and the UN’s data protection and privacy group. The mechanisms and organs are already in place for internet governance to move substantially under the auspices of the UN’s multilateral system.
The multistakeholder model is already under pressure and scrutiny, and any attempt to undermine it may be catastrophic. The G77 and China group emphasized the relevance of stakeholder inputs and the need for the process to remain a member-state-driven process throughout. In 2025, WSIS will be up for review, and stock will be taken on whether it has managed to deliver on its promise. Russia, a strong adversary of the multistakeholder model, is pitting to host the IGF that year.
The “Global Digital Compact” presents an opportunity for the internet community to re-energize a community that has been sitting comfortably in the fuzziness of multistakeholderism. However, for this to happen, the UN must commit and ensure that the modalities around the way the Digital Compact will be negotiated adhere to an inclusive, collaborative framework.
The Multistakeholder Model: An Important Legitimizing Force
The multistakeholder model has been instrumental in legitimizing multi-actor participation in Internet governance without requiring permission from governments. This has become increasingly important as many states attempt to silence opposing voices and justify their inward-looking digital strategies. The model has also helped to increase transparency in Internet governance, exposing actions that may conflict with the Internet’s established norms and principles.
The UN’s Digital Compact: A Threat to the Multistakeholder Model
The UN’s proposal for a “Global Digital Compact” aimed at improving digital cooperation has raised concerns that it could signal the beginning of the end for the Internet’s collaborative, multistakeholder model. The proposal seeks to cover issues such as connectivity, data protection, content moderation, and artificial intelligence. While the proposal may have the potential to bring states together and help shape a better future for the Internet, there are concerns that it may create a centralized system where the UN sits at the top.
A Gradual Takeover of Internet Governance?
There is a probable scenario where the UN takes over Internet governance, which could lead to limited participation from civil society, the Internet’s engineering community, academia, and businesses. This could result in a lack of checks and balances, bureaucracy, and long negotiations. The fate of the Internet may become sealed in this scenario, and its crucial qualities, such as openness, global reach, and interoperability, could disappear.
The Road Ahead: A Chance to Re-Energize and Rethink
There is an opportunity for the Internet community to come together and re-energize its role in shaping the future of the Internet. The Digital Compact proposal could be seen as an attempt to invigorate a community that has become complacent with the multistakeholder model. However, the UN must ensure that negotiations adhere to an inclusive, collaborative framework. It is crucial to avoid a scenario where the UN takes over Internet governance, which would threaten the Internet’s crucial qualities and its collaborative, multistakeholder model.
About Konstantinos Komaitis
Konstantinos Komaitis is a veteran in developing and analyzing Internet policy to ensure an open and global Internet. He spent almost ten years in policy development and strategy as a Senior Director at the Internet Society and is a public speaker and writer on Internet policy. He is currently a non-resident fellow and a senior researcher at the Lisbon Council.
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