Rwanda Recap: U.S. Support for Multistakeholder Internet Governance at ICANN80

The importance of the multistakeholder system of Internet governance was on full display in June in Kigali, Rwanda during the ICANN80 High Level Government Meeting (HLGM) and Policy Forum. I was delighted to lead the U.S. Delegation to the HLGM, participate in ICANN’s forum, and meet with leaders from around the world in support of that multistakeholder system. The multistakeholder system of Internet governance is the consensus-based decision making that takes place in those technical entities which, together, constitute the decentralized infrastructure of the Internet. We call this system "multistakeholder” because it involves technical experts, civil society, academics, industry, and governments all coming together to make policy and support infrastructure. I was pleased to participate in ICANN80 and the sessions for governments as part of the Government Advisory Committee. ICANN is the organization that ensures the stable and secure operation of the global Internet’s unique identifier systems. These systems are the bedrock of the Internet and provide the foundation for the content and services that citizens interact with on the Internet.