Multi-Stakeholder Internet Governance and International Law: Common Concepts or New Approach?

Abstract

Internet Multi-stakeholder governance is the latest achievement of the legal doctrine on how to regulate the rules governing the Internet (as a clear indication of the cyberspace). After the first World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) which was held in 2003, and faced with the acceptance of governments and other stakeholders in the cyber space, it draw serious attention and became operational. In fact, the promoters of this form of global governance are striving using the common concepts and rules of international law to organize the field which unlike the classic international law its only active actors are not the governments, and to some extent, international organizations and this time, other stakeholders such as social groups (individuals) and companies have a major role and influence. This paper uses an analytical-descriptive method to study the role and effectiveness of each stakeholders in the future of internet governance and the context, implications of applicable international law in this area, such as soft law, related international organizations and, finally, its existing problems and disadvantages.

Keywords

• cyber law
• multi-stakeholder governance
• international law
• internet
• soft law