As of today, approximately 69% of the world’s population-around 6 billion people-use the Internet. This indispensable tool for communication, information sharing and business development had its origins in military research. In 1969, at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) developed a network known as ARPANET, which eventually evolved into the Internet.
Over time, the Internet expanded beyond military and academic use, crossing national borders and becoming a global infrastructure. Its growth necessitated a governance model that has come to be known as multistakeholder governance. This model enables governments, the private sector, the technical and scientific communities and civil society to collaboratively manage and shape the development of the global Internet.
Internet governance is grounded in the principles of open cooperation, transparency and consensus-building. Decisions are made through a participatory process that involves all relevant stakeholders. This inclusive approach helps ensure that the Internet remains open, accessible and technologically innovative.
Key Internet Governance Actors.
- ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
ICANN is responsible for managing the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) and the allocation of IP addresses. It operates as a non-governmental, non-profit organization that is independent of any single government, although it was originally established at the initiative of the United States government. - IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority)
IANA is a division within ICANN that oversees global IP address allocation, the management of the Root Zone (which forms the foundation of the DNS), and the coordination of protocol parameter assignments. It plays a critical role in maintaining the technical structure of the Internet. - IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
The IETF is an open technical community that develops and promotes the core standards and protocols that underpin the Internet. These include fundamental technologies such as email, TCP/IP, HTTP, and many others that ensure the Internet’s functionality and interoperability. - W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
The W3C defines web standards that ensure the long-term growth of the Web. These include foundational technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. - ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
Both local and global ISPs provide Internet connectivity to users and play a significant role in determining the availability and quality of Internet access. - Governments and UN Agencies
Governments are responsible for creating and enforcing national laws and cybersecurity policies. At the international level, agencies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized UN body for ICT, help coordinate international standards and agreements in certain areas.
Thanks to this multi-stakeholder model, the Internet is maintained and developed as a single, global, and universally accessible platform-free from the control of any single entity. This governance framework is widely regarded as one of the most successful examples of international cooperation in modern history.