The Global Architecture of Digital Cooperation

What kind of global governance architecture is needed to ensure an open, secure, and rights-respecting digital future? The open global internet is a transformative communications network – arguably the most revolutionary invention of our time – but its future is in question. The internet is fracturing along national lines, and tech giants have erected walled gardens that throttle innovation and further concentrate power. The complex ecosystem of actors and organizations that govern the internet, including governments, the private sector, civil society, and the technical community, is strained. The UN is looking for new ways to facilitate global digital cooperation that go beyond the existing forums and organizations. Multi-stakeholder bodies such as ICANN, a nonprofit that manages the Domain Name System, the phonebook of the indexed internet, might serve as models, but questions of power and politics remain. A conversation to examine the state of global digital cooperation and emerging proposals aimed at fostering collaboration.