Document details

Principles for Governing the Internet: A Comparative Analysis

Paris: UNESCO (2015), 88 pp.

Series: UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom

ISBN 978-92-3-100125-3 (print/pdf); 978-92-3-100036-2 (ePub)

CC BY-SA

Other editions: also published in French

Signature commbox: 70-Rights-E 2015

"This study encompasses both quantitative and qualitative assessment: On the one hand, the more than 50 evaluated declarations, guidelines, and frameworks are briefly described in the given context; on the other hand, the issues contained in these documents are also qualitatively analyzed. In this, it is evident that multiple initiatives have been taken during the last 25 years. The prevailing impression is of a wide diversity of documents and of attention to diverse Internet Governance principles. The contents of the analyzed documents heavily depend on the given actors and environment at the time of the drafting. Furthermore, some principles (for example freedom of expression, access to information, privacy) have gained much more attention than other principles (for example, multistakeholder participation, ethical behavior, sustainability, education, gender equality)." (Executive summary)
1 Introduction, 9
2 Methodology, 13
3 Analysis of Documents, 23
General Observations -- Access and Openness -- Freedom of Expression -- Privacy -- Ethics -- Multistakeholder Participation -- Gender Equality -- Sustainable Development -- Issues of Culture, Science and the Social and Human Sciences, and Education
4 Relevance for UNESCO, 75
5 Conclusions, 81