座談Panel #14

提案單位：APNIC

所屬子題：
地緣政治下的碎片化 (Fragmentation under Geo-politics)

This workshop will explore positive protective measures that can be put in place to future-proof the ‘public core’ of the Internet. Can the intergovernmental arena offer protective measures for the multistakeholder model to succeed? This is a new question to an old debate, and we will offer answers from different perspectives: technical, governmental, private and academic.

The notion of the ‘public core’ of the Internet is one that has taken hold over recent years. To date, both States and other stakeholders have conceived norms surrounding the public core in entirely negative terms – something states must respect by not intervening/interfering in its operation or governance model. This means that the multistakeholder governance model that underpins the organisational structures of the ‘public core’ are best to be left alone, as neutral grounds that should not be attacked or interfered with.

Are there positive duties that can be paired with the negative obligations, for States to protect and ensure the ‘public core’ remains global, open, stable and secure? Are there measures that could add legitimacy and legal support to the operations upon which the stability of the Internet depends? Are these protective measures feasible to implement in the current state of geopolitical disagreements? Can multilateralism help to reinforce multistakeholder governance processes? Can multistakeholder based policy decisions be legitimately and/or legally enforced under specific jurisdictions while their implementation involves extra-jurisdictional services?