[Lac] At UN summit, Brazil will ask for change in way web is managed

[Marcelo D'Elia Branco]

http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=240213&editoria=PO
At UN summit, Brazil will ask for change in way web is managed

Edla Lula
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - At the 2nd Global Society of Information Summit, in November,
in Tunis (Tunisia), Brazil will defend the creation of a body under the
aegis of the United Nations (UN) to assume responsibility for discussing
matters related to the administration of website addresses.

Internet governance is currently in the hands of the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Addresses (Icann), a non-profit
organization based in the United States.

The Brazilian delegation argues that, because it is connected to a
single country, governance is inadequate to deal with international
conflicts. "There are a series of cross-border issues having to do with
crimes committed in several countries, as, for example, forgery, fraud,
theft, or child pornography. At times the server is not based in the
country where the crime occurred, but in another country," argues
Rogério Santanna, secretary of Logistics and Information Technology in
the Ministry of Planning.

Santanna points out that there is no forum where countries can discuss
internet crimes, nor is there a treaty covering this issue. "The
internet today is not backed by any international treaty."

The secretary emphasizes, however, that it is not a question of
eliminating the role of the Icann with regard to names, domains,
numbers, IPs, and protocols. "We defend the creation of a forum that
will supervise the areas of conflict, and the Icann will maintain its
role."

The idea is for this forum to act in the definition of international
policies and agreements and to contain an exclusively governmental
decision-making body to deal with areas that involve national
sovereignty. Provision is also made for geographic and economic
representativeness, brining together governments, the third sector, the
business sector, and the scientific and technological community,
according to criteria determined by the Global Society of Information
Summit.

Another theme the Brazilian delegation plans to defend is the use of
free software as an instrument to encourage knowledge-sharing among
nations. "The use of free software is a strategy for reducing
dependency. Whenever we in the government discuss the purchase of
software, the suppliers - and this is standard business practice - try
to create competitive differentials to bind us to their solutions. And
the users have to defend themselves through the use of open standards
and free software, which is a strategy for opening the codes and
allowing users to change, become familiar with, study, and distribute
them," Santanna argues.

Brazil will also back a proposal presented by the Senegalese delegation
for the creation of a digital solidarity fund. "This is an important
theme at the Tunis conference. But the developed countries resist
adopting this fund. It is one of our major battles," he remarked.

Translation: David Silberstein


http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=240213&editoria=PO


19/09/2005