Pro-growth policies regarding the Internet are essential, says global business

ICC BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) will use its presence at the 8th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF), taking place in Bali, Indonesia, 22-25 October, to highlight how greater collaboration between stakeholder groups and stronger pro-growth international policies are needed if the Internet is to retain its place as the world’s primary economic enabler.

As part of its focus on the role played by the Internet in job creation and economic growth, ICC BASIS will highlight the dangers of not doing enough to advance policy that promotes international trade and investment that helps corporations of all sizes as well as individuals capitalize on the opportunities made possible by globalization.

ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier said: “The role the Internet plays today in providing fresh economic opportunity, hope and jobs cannot be underestimated. The policy-making community has a shared responsibility to support the Internet in this role by working together to create policy that facilitates new business growth and paves the way for new innovation in business models. We simply cannot afford for the world’s greatest economic mechanism for trade to fail; we must do more to create attractive policy frameworks that encourage access to the Internet and better use of it for economic growth and societal benefit.”

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is being held in South East Asia for the first time and serves to highlight the important role that the region plays in the future of the Internet.

Home to more than half the global population, Asia contains some of the world’s most advanced Internet markets where smartphones are fast overtaking PCs as the device of choice for online access. At the same time, stakeholders attending the IGF understand the urgent need to create more robust policy approaches to help break down the digital divide in Asia, and globally, and to extend the advantages of the Internet to more people in the region, including frameworks for greater Internet penetration and improved broadband speeds.

As the voice of global business at multistakeholder and UN forums, ICC BASIS believes that an all-inclusive approach to public policy development remains the best way to solve these and other challenges associated with the on-going development of the Internet and ICTs. It is also the most effective approach in preventing the creation of local barriers that threaten to disrupt the phenomenal Internet growth that has occurred to date.

With a clear focus on achieving greater levels of understanding between the diverse groups involved in Internet governance and creating a common approach to Internet policy development, ICC BASIS will host an IGF workshop, co-organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the government of Brazil and the Internet Society. Open to all stakeholders the workshop will examine the effective use of multistakeholder principles at national, regional and international levels:

‘Developing and effectively using multistakeholder principles’ – Day 3, 24 October, 11.00-12.30, Room 1, Nusa Dua Convention Center, Bali

To learn more about ICC’s BASIS initiative visit ICC BASIS