The International Chamber of Commerce has reasserted its commitment to strengthening the Internet as an enabler of business and economic growth, saying that more needs to be done today to ensure its continued development as an open platform for innovation, creativity and the free flow of information.
ICC BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) will use its presence at the 9th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF), taking place in Istanbul, Turkey from September 2-5 to address how Internet policy decision-making is not going far enough to capitalize on the Internet’s potential for creating new commercial and social opportunities for users around the world.
USCIB, which is a member of ICC-BASIS, will participate in the IGF 2014 in Istanbul, supporting BASIS’ efforts to promote an approach to Internet governance that enables business to reap the benefits of the digital economy. As part of its focus at the September meeting, ICC BASIS has also affirmed its belief that the existing multistakeholder model of governance is the best way to ensure the creation of policy that maximizes opportunities for future Internet innovation, and is the most effective means of informing Internet policy decision-making at the government level.
ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “The world is becoming ever more dependent on the Internet to drive social change and attain regional economic growth and prosperity. Global business is dedicated to doing all it can to encourage the adoption of policy that supports the use of the Internet in new ways to connect people with ideas, create jobs, boost trade and reverse the cycle of poverty. At a time when management of the Internet is under scrutiny, we urge the policy-making community to not lose sight of the continued need to focus on creating pro-growth, socially proactive policies designed to keep the Internet open for future generations.”
BASIS welcomes the opportunity offered by IGF to galvanize thinking among the multistakeholder community through consensus, and to engage in dialogue on central issues. These include the protection of the Internet as a vehicle of innovation, respect for the rule of law, access, enhancing digital trust and the importance of maintaining cross-border and global flows of information.
Staff contact: Barbara Wanner
