Mapping National Internet Governance Initiatives in Latin America

Abstract

The project maps different Internet governance initiatives in the LAC region. The research addresses the cases of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico and Nicaragua. These initiatives have already developed their own national Internet governance mechanism and are all in different stages of formalization. The project aims to provide information on the evolution and status of the Internet governance agenda within different countries, including in a comparative perspective, based on the existing evidence and literature on the subject. A broader aim of the research is to enhance the value of National and Regional Internet Governance Forums (NRIs) and Internet governance more generally in national public policy processes and cycles in the region as a means to achieve fairer, more accountable and open societies. The approach to the overall research is largely empirical. The study relied on a mix-method approach that is largely empirical, based on the combination of both qualitative and quantitative tools to support the reconstruction of the history and institutional development (process tracing) of each of the initiatives described above. More specifically, it involved literature review; document analysis and archival research; participant observation; survey analysis; and semi-structured interviews to complement the previous list. The key dimensions that are considered for the mapping exercise are the following: Themes: evolution of the Internet governance agenda in each country and in a comparative perspective in the region; Formats of these initiatives, including governance structure, work modality and processes; Identifying the resources that sustain these initiatives (human, financial); Impact analysis of the initiatives on Internet policy in the country/region.

Keywords: internet governance, multistakeholderism, national internet governance initiatives

JEL Classification: F18, F59