US, India support multi-stakeholder model of net governance

US-India Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Working Group met this week to discuss the importance of maintaining an "enabling legal, regulatory and policy environment" for internet governance.
The Group, which promotes development of the ICT sector, met here on September 27. The US and Indian government officials expressed their shared support of multi-stakeholder model for internet governance.
"The discussions underscored the importance of promoting the flow of information; and taking advantage of Internet to promote innovation in products, services, processes, organisations and business models," an official statement said.
With Internet adoption expanding at a rapid pace, there is a growing concern globally towards creating some internationally-accepted mechanism for governing the internet.

Many governments have supported the multi-stakeholder model to handle key features of internet governance that will represent views of individuals, corporates and public interest groups.
The discussions of US-India ICT Working Group meeting also focussed on "maintaining an enabling legal, regulatory and policy environment characterised by openness and transparency, stakeholder participation, non-discrimination, support for market competition, predictability, sound evidence-based policy making, and regulatory accountability", the statement said.

The US congratulated India on its progress in becoming the world's second largest population of internet users.
The two sides discussed the Global Connect Initiative -- launched by the US Department of State to connect the next 1.5 billion people to the internet by 2020 -- as well as goals of the Digital India programme.

"India shared how it is working with its community of stakeholders and plans for participating in global internet events, including hosting the next ICANN57 meeting in Hyderabad on November 3-9," the statement said.
The two sides also discussed the upcoming World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly in Tunisia.
Besides, issues relating to international mobility of Indian skilled professionals were also deliberated upon.
The participants resolved to further deliberate through sub-working groups on priority areas like Internet of Things, standards and electronics and internet governance.
"They also resolved to hold digital video conferences to discuss areas like government procurement practices of ICT goods and services, policy issues for unmanned aerial vehicles and e-Commerce," the statement said.

The participants will hold the next ICT Working Group in 2017 in Washington, DC.