The OECD ICCP workshop “The Future of the Internet” will bring together policy-makers, leading academics, private sector organisations, and civil society organisations to discuss the trends shaping the future of the Internet, explore the various approaches -technical, regulatory, and economic- that are being taken or can be taken to create new functionality for and increased trust in the Internet, to promote its sustained growth and adoption, and to identify opportunities for increased international cooperation on pressing issues.

The Malta Discussions on Internet Governance: Summary of the International Conference
Conference discussions were divided into five panels, each looking at different aspects of the future Internet Governance Forum. In addition, DiploTeam members and researchers presented Diplo’s Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme and the results of research on a number of topics, including the protection of public interest with regards to the Internet. The document includes some of the main points which emerged from each panel’s deliberations.
http://diplomacy.edu/Conferences/IG/presentations/Conference_Summary.pdf

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
This website has been set up to support the process started by the United Nations Secretary-General with a view to convening a new forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue – the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The Secretary-General was mandated by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to convene such a Forum and he asked his Special Advisor for WSIS, Mr. Nitin Desai, to hold consultations in this matter. Consultations on the Convening of the IGF. The texts of the realtime transcription of the 16 – 17 February Consultations on the convening of the IGF are now available for viewing:
http://intgovforum.org/index.htm

Vint Cerf condemns two-tier internet
Vint Cerf told Congress yesterday that ideas proposed by telecoms companies for a two-tier internet were fatally flawed and, if necessary, legislation should be passed to make it impossible.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/08/cerf_calls_for_neutral_net/

Who Control’s the Internet
A discussion on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National Late Night Live programme on who control’s the internet, and the way forward. The guests agree that ICANN’s control is the “least worst option” for the time being. They also discuss Google and China, with Becky Hogge commenting she is sympathetic to Google acquiescing to China’s demands although she wouldn’t want to have a couple of tea with the people there! Guests are Becky Hogge, Managing Editor of Open Democracy which is an online magazine of global politics and democracy and Kenneth Neil Cukier who covers techonology and regulatory issues for The Economist. The programme is available to download for at least one week from broadcast – till 8 February.
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/lnl/
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/lnl/s1560509.htm
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/lnl/audio/lnl_02022006_2856.ram
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/lnl/audio/lnl_02022006_28M.asx
http://abc.net.au/rn/podcast/feeds/lnl_20060202.mp3

Here, you will find useful information about the Forum, the state of preparations, as well as important documentation related to Internet Governance issues.