[discuss] NETmundial / Neelie Kroes: "The Internet needs better governance, starting now" (speech at NETmundial, Sao Paulo, 23 April 2014)

Wed Apr 23 14:41:30 UTC 2014

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Dear all,

For your information, please find at
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-333_en.htm and reproduced
below the *speech* (as prepared for delivery) of Neelie Kroes,
Vice-President of the European Commission, at the Multistakeholder Meeting
on the Future of Internet Governance or NETmundial (Sao Paulo, 23-24 April
2014).

Please also note that an *extended version* of Vice-President Kroes'
remarks ("*Global governance for a global, common, public resource*") is
available at
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/en/content/global-governance-global-common-public-resource.

I'd like to also refer you to the *press release* of the European
Commission of 23 April 2014, concerning our priorities for the NETmundial
meeting (http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-315_en.htm) as well
as the *two open letters* of Vice-President Kroes of 11 April 2014 (
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/en/content/my-thoughts-netmundial-and-future-internet-governance)
and 16 April 2014 (
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/en/content/netmundial-lets-get-work),
in which the six priority areas of the European Commission for this
conference are outlined:

·         Improvements to the multi-stakeholder model of governance (and
resistance to calls for greater government-control) model

·         Strengthening the Internet Governance Forum

·         Providing tools and mechanisms for better information sharing and
capacity building, so that a truly global debate and governance is possible

·         Globalising IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority)

·         Globalisation of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers)

·         Jurisdictional issues on the Internet

+++

  The Internet needs better governance, starting now

European Commission - SPEECH/14/333   23/04/2014
[Check Against Delivery]

Neelie KROES
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda

*The Internet needs better governance, starting now *Opening remarks,
NETMundial
*Sao Paulo, Brazil, 23 April 2014*

*To add your comment to this speech, see the social version of the
speech **here
<http://commentneelie.eu/>*

*This could be an historic gathering.*

*So ask yourself: are we here to make a change, and live up to the call
made by President Rousseff in New York, or are we here to waste time?*

*The Internet is more disruptive than the printing press, electrification
and industrialisation combined.*

*The Internet is the quickest, biggest revolution in history. *

*The Internet is now a global, common, public resource and its governance
must be truly global, transparent and accountable.*

*That means we all have to change. No existing organisation or nation is
exempt.*

*This puts a huge responsibility on us in this room. *

*This week we must move forward.*

*If we simply do more talking, use more nice words, we will have wasted the
opportunity and failed the global community.*

*What should we do?*

*First: we can only create positive change based on what we agree on, not
what divides us. *

*Let’s admit our recent work has produced a large degree of consensus. We
can get excited about a word here or there, but let us not lose sight of
the bigger picture.*

*In most cases we want the same things. We agree on: *

*(1) An improved multi-stakeholder model: transparent, democratic, based on
human rights; and a roadmap to get there;*

*(2) A process for the transition of the IANA functions involving all the
stakeholder community;*

*(3) Strengthening the Internet Governance Forum;*

*(4) Capacity building through information sharing and Internet
observatories; *

*(5) We must address jurisdictional issues on the Internet with transparent
systems. *

*In summary: we agree on more than we disagree on.*

*While I do not want to trivialise the challenges, I believe we can meet
them. *

*****

*We need to decide where we want to be, by the end of 2014.*

*During these next two days I will be breathing down everybody's neck until
we have a discussion on concrete actions.*

*So two days of dialogue please, not a string of monologues. *

*This is what open and democratic debate should be: we listen, we discuss,
and then we reach real decisions.*

*I'm looking forward to that.*

*Thank you*.

+++

Best regards,

--
Andrea Glorioso (Mr)
European Commission - DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology
Unit D1 (International relations) + Task Force on Internet Policy
Development
Avenue de Beaulieu 25 (4/64) / B-1049 / Brussels / Belgium
T: +32-2-29-97682 M: +32-460-797-682 E: Andrea.Glorioso at ec.europa.eu
Twitter: @andreaglorioso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorioso
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1749288&trk=tab_pro

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Commission.
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