FLOSS News

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) have become a hot topic in the field of Internet governance. As the number of non-English speakers on the Internet grows exponentially, the limitations of the Domain Name System have become evident to many.

This APDIP e-note presents Asia-Pacific perspectives and priorities on Internet governance based on extensive research conducted by the Open Regional Dialogue on Internet Governance, an APDIP initiative.

A regional workshop was held on 18-20 October 2006 in Bangkok followed by two national workshops in Nepal and Bangladesh on 22-24 November 2006 and 27-29 November 2006, respectively, to conceptualize, develop and deliberate on policy issues relating to Internet use for business development.

APDIP's Open Regional Dialogue on Internet Governance initiative zooms in on the Internet governance issues, priorities and challenges faced by five countries in Asia.

While there is an emerging convergence of views on some aspects related to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), one of the two questions Mr. Nitin Desai, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser for the World Summit on the Information Society invited stakeholders to reflect on is which public policy issues the first meeting of the IGF should address. Below is UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme's submission.

The "Voices from Asia-Pacific: Internet Governance Priorities and Recommendations" documents were endorsed by delegates at the High Level Asia-Pacific Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society, in Tehran on 31 May - 2 June 2005. The documents were also endorsed at the UN Working Group on Internet Governance at their Meeting in Geneva on 14 -17 June 2005.

This publication, with a foreword by Nitin Desai, provides an overview of the key debates on Internet governance. It presents the work of the Open Regional Dialogue on Internet Governance, an APDIP initiative that has collected perspectives from regional experts and end users.

APDIP helped organize a session on Internet Governance for the UNESCAP Sub-regional Conference on ICT for Development in Pacific Island Developing Countries.

APDIP organized a session on Internet Governance at the Asian Civil Socety Forum.

APDIP focused on Internet Governance and Financial Mechanisms at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)-organized Regional Conference on Follow-up to the First Phase and Preparation for the Second Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society from 11 to 13 October 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand.
11-13 October 2004
UNCC, Bangkok

APDIP and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Bangkok, Thailand co-hosted the First ORDIG Advisory Panel Meeting on 18-19 March 2005.

The Planning Meeting for an Open Regional Dialogue on Internet Governance was held in the Shangri La Hotel on 22 July 2004. A total of 30 people representing governments, private sector, civil society and multilateral organizations, participated in the meeting.

This primer, with a foreword by Vinton G. Cerf, offers an overview of Internet governance, discussing its history, the issues at stake and the various actors involved. It shows how governance decisions can have social and economic ramifications, and it suggests steps that can be taken to enhance developing country participation in Internet governance.

The DVD is a self-learning multimedia package on Internet Governance. Inside, there is a 46-minute film, an Internet governance course and Internet governance resources including APDIP's Primer on Internet Governance and other outputs from the Open Regional Dialogue on Internet Governance. The Internet Governance DVD was launched at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis

The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) 20th Open Policy Meeting focus on issues related to database, DNS operations, IPv6, policy and routing.