May 20, 2011
Geneva,
Ambassador Betty E. King, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, hosted a conference on “Internet Governance and Internet Innovation and Economic Competitiveness” at the U.S. Mission.
Highlighting the importance of this issue, Ambassador King stressed that “the United States wants to preserve and enhance the multi-stakeholder model which has played a major role in the design and operation of the Internet and is directly responsible for its success. We believe that maintaining and extending the multi-stakeholder model is important for ensuring the Internet remains a fertile field for innovation and an engine for much needed economic growth.”
She added that this event represents a continuation of U.S. Mission Geneva’s efforts to demonstrate the importance of a free and multi-stakeholder Internet for democratic
societies and vibrant market economies. Building on Secretary Clinton’s Internet Freedom speech in February, the U.S. Mission hosted a side event on Internet Freedom
at the Human Rights Council in March and June 9-10 will feature grass roots activists from around the world, known as “Internet Freedom Fellows,” who use the Internet to
promote democracy and freedom of expression in their countries.
Friday’s conference included panels focused on two critical areas – “Internet Governance and the Open Internet,” which highlighted the utility of the multi-stakeholder system that governs the internet today, and the “Link between Internet Innovation and Economic Competitiveness,” which underlined how all stakeholders must work collectively to support the free flow of information, goods and services.
The event featured speakers from government, industry and civil society, including Internet pioneer Vint Cerf of Google, and representatives from eBay, CISCO, the Nairobi Internet Governance Forum, the World Economic Forum, the Diplo Foundation, and the Internet Governance Forum, a true reflection of the multi-stakeholder system that governs the Internet.