Russia Proposes ‘Internet Chapter’ for ITRs, but Major Nations Oppose It

Russia submitted its proposal for a new “Internet chapter” in the future International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) on the second day of the World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai. Russia said in its presentation by Victor Strelets of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications “the Internet system is an inalienable part of the telecommunications infrastructure.”

The Russian proposal was immediately supported by China. Yuqi Xie of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the Internet is becoming a global infrastructure, and that “should be reflected in the ITR.” Algeria not only endorsed the Internet chapter, but said it would provide additional text to “flesh out the package” with “other proposals because the Internet is also related to cyber legislation, cyber security."

Portugal, speaking for the European Union, the U.S., France and Canada, rejected a Chinese proposal to start discussing the Russian proposal in one of the WCIT committees. “These are fundamental issues facing the negotiations today and through the next two weeks,” said Richard Beaird, senior deputy coordinator-international communications & information policy, U.S. Department of State. Beaird said the discussion must be in the plenary, rather than committee, because it’s a “fundamental issue, directly tied to the success of these negotiations."

Several developing countries supported a proposal from Ghana to update the ITRs more frequently, for example in conferences alongside the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly meetings, which take place every four years. Beaird said the U.S. could not agree to a definite time period.

Most countries rejected including a reference to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Tunisia, which proposed the reference, argued that Internet cutoffs had happened despite the recognition of these rights, so a strong signal from the conference might be good. But the U.S., Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), Canada, Europe and Australia worried about mission creep. “We are concerned that we should not open this door and get into the issue of adding content issues,” a U.S. official representing CITEL said.

ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Toure welcomed the Tunisia proposal, saying he had argued all along that WCIT was not about freedom of expression issues, but that there had been misrepresentation about this. Toure eventually supported issuing a news release saying member states had affirmed fundamental communication rights, but the ITRs were a treaty on technical issues.