The United Nations will launch the first round of consultations next month on creating a new internet governance body, as agreed by delegates attending the global net summit in Tunis last year.
The UN, which hosted the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in November, is welcoming all stakeholders to attend the consultations, which will take place in Geneva on 16-17 February, according to a statement published 11 January by Swiss diplomat Markus Kummer, who had previously participated in the WSIS Working Group on Internet Governance.
The consultations will focus on developing "a common understanding among all stakeholders on the nature and character" of the proposed Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and to prepare for the first meeting of the new body, to take place in Athens, Greece, before the end of this year, the statement says.
Internet governance was, arguably, the most controversial issue at WSIS, threatening to undermine the entire summit. To defuse the heated war for political control of the internet, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed a temporary ceasefire of sorts by offering to create IGF. Government delegates in Tunis agreed to the proposal.
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