The establishment of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was one of the key outputs of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), where world leaders asked the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, in an open and inclusive process, to convene this new multi-stakeholder policy dialogue as well as to report to the UN Member States periodically on the operation of the Forum. The United States of America takes this opportunity to reiterate its commitment to the results of the WSIS, and in particular to the convening of the IGF. We appreciate the opportunity afforded by the IGF Secretariat to submit comments and views on the possible continuation of this forum.
The IGF has proven to be a one-of-a-kind and valuable venue for information sharing and international dialogue on topics critical to global economic, social and political development. Substantive discussions amongst all stakeholders, as called for in the Tunis Agenda, have occurred in the IGF that have fostered the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet. The flexible structures used at the IGF - open forums, workshops and main sessions – have evolved into dynamic mechanisms that effectively facilitate exchange of information and best practices among and between all stakeholders. Consequently, the United States supports the continuation of the IGF past its initial five-year mandate.
The United States believes that the multi-stakeholder processes that have underpinned the IGF continue to make it a globally unique environment for a constructive and open exchange of ideas without the limitations imposed by the pressures of negotiation. We believe that the current work methods of the IGF are fully consistent with principles as agreed in the WSIS documents and that the IGF is addressing appropriately its mandate as articulated in the Tunis Agenda.
The hard work and dedication of the IGF Secretariat as well as that of the volunteer multi-stakeholder advisory group (MAG) has been critical to making the IGF a success to date. The United States commends the Secretariat as well as current and past MAG members for their tireless efforts. We look forward to the 2009 meeting of the IGF in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt where we hope that the cross cutting themes of development and capacity building find renewed emphasis.