Beyond ICANN Vs ITU?

Internet governance became one of the most controversial issues in the WSIS process. While the subject was a marginal one during the initial phases of WSIS (PrepCom1, Geneva, June 2002), it moved gradually from the periphery of the debate to the top of the agenda. After the series of five regional ministerial conferences (from Bamako, May 2002, to Beirut, February 2003) Internet governance suddenly emerged as one of the ‘hot items’ at PrepCom2 (Geneva, February 2003). But neither PrepCom3 (Geneva, September 2003) nor PrepCom3bis (Geneva, November 2003) could reach an agreement. PrepCom3bis+ (Geneva, December 2003) finally ‘agreed to disagree’, to postpone the debate and to ask the UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, ‘to set up a working group on Internet Governance’ with the mandate, ‘to investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the governance of the Internet by 2005’. The second phase of the Summit is scheduled for Tunis, November 2005.