IGF 2014

The multi‐stakeholder model has been an important factor for the success of the Internet. However it is necessary to recognize that the Internet governance dynamics have changed. The new dynamics among stakeholders is associated with an overall increase of complexity and differentiation and suggests that it is increasingly difficult for one single governance regime to address the broad range of concerns associated with today’s Internet. What is needed is to allow for a better match between discrete governance issues and the suitable institutions available.
The panel addresses this situation by advancing an innovative model. It asks whether it is feasible to consider an evolution of the current system to allow for a better interplay among the different actors of the governance process towards a multi‐stakeholder model with variable geometry.

While all stakeholders need to participate in the multi-stakeholder model on equal footing when different governance issues and institutions are envisaged and discussed, then in the implementation of the governance process one stakeholder or a coalition of stakeholders (variable geometry) could take the lead according to the nature of the governance issue at stake: e.g. standards (the private sector), Internet issues relevant to particular communities (civil society), human rights (government).
The variable geometry approach has been discussed in the WTO negotiations to take into account differences among countries participating in the agreement (for instance developing countries) and to reduce the perennial tension between depth and width of the treaties.
The workshop will explore what can be learnt from these experiences for the Internet governance context.