[DC-Trade] Latest version of IGF workshop proposal for submission next week

susan aaronson saaronson2 at verizon.net
Sat Apr 29 10:41:27 PDT 2017


I have a couple of thoughts:

First, the US and other countries increasingly disagree on what is 
"digital protectionism," -e.g. do data localization, privacy, server 
location requirements distort trade?

Secondly, trade negotiators have not figured out how to remedy digital 
protectionism given that some remedies (countervailing duties, tariffs) 
don't seem appropriate, we don't know how to define injury, who is 
injured and how to remedy. And even then, digital protectionist 
strategies as well as strategies to remedy injurious import could not 
only distort trade, but could have effects on the internet.  We need to 
carefully examine this issue to make sure that if trade agreements 
regulate the internet, they do not undermine or restrict cross-border 
information flows that underpin the Internet.

So, I suggest we include some discussion of this (I am clearly biased as 
this is my research).

Also, we don't know what will be in NAFTA 2.0; US put forward a blue 
print and then repudiated it, saying it was put forward by staffers and 
not the administration.  RCEP won't... China won't accept any agreement 
that goes beyond border measures and IP.   The Canadians and Mexicans 
have said nothing re. digital trade. So I think we need to be clear 
about which trade agreements could have digital language.


Susan

On 4/28/2017 2:55 PM, Jeremy Malcolm wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I am pasting below the latest version of the IGF workshop proposal 
> that several of you have expressed interest in supporting. Because we 
> only have a few more days to finalize the proposal, your comments and 
> suggestions are now urgently needed.
>
> All of the panelists now listed as volunteering have been 
> confirmed—but probably we shouldn't include all of them on the panel, 
> which is rather CS-heavy.  Any suggestions about how we could have a 
> more balanced panel—including other people (not civil society) to 
> propose, and perhaps some panelists with different views?
>
> Bill Drake has suggested we should tweak the proposal to do EITHER one 
> of two things: 1. De-emphasize the prospect of the Internet governance 
> issues that we mention being taken up at the WTO, which he judges as 
> unlikely, and instead to emphasize the fact that these issues are on 
> the agenda for mega-regional agreements and new bilaterals.  2. OR 
> else refocus the session on what is actually more likely to come out 
> of the WTO Ministerial in Buenos Aires, namely just extending the 
> customs duties moratorium, trade facilitation, e-commerce for 
> development, and a loose commitment to talk about future issues.
>
> Does anyone else have views on Bill's suggestion?  If anyone thinks 
> changes to the proposal are needed, please propose specific wording.
>
> With whatever feedback we have by then, I'll be finalizing and 
> submitting this proposal by Wednesday.  So I'll be depending on you 
> between now and then to ensure that it's in the best shape it can be.
>
> Here's the current text, also found at 
> https://opendigital.trade/projects/dc-trade/wiki/IGF_Workshop_2017:
>
> --- begins ---
>
>
>     Title: Engaging with the E-commerce Trade Agenda
>
> The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference takes place 
> from 11 to 14 December 2017, just one week prior to the IGF. Key 
> member states are advocating that the Ministerial Conference should 
> approve additional substantive work on e-commerce, perhaps even new 
> norm-setting measures. The IGF will be the first opportunity that 
> stakeholders have to prepare a plan of action in response to whatever 
> decision is taken, and to connect the dots between the WTO work 
> programme and other relevant sources of expertise from the broader 
> Internet governance community.
>
> Possible topics already proposed by certain delegations for the WTO's 
> work program include encryption, data localisation, source code 
> disclosure mandates, and intermediary liability rules. All of these 
> areas have substantial intersections with Internet governance policies 
> on cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, and freedom of 
> expression. Yet the WTO, being relatively new to these topics, lacks 
> deep expertise in many of them, and does not possess strong 
> connections with all of the stakeholders with non-trade perspectives 
> to offer on the impacts of rulemaking in this areas.
>
> This workshop will facilitate the exchange of information among 
> interested stakeholders and from external communities that also have 
> an interest or expertise to offer in the development of 
> Internet-related global trade rules. Even in the event that the WTO 
> does not decide to expand its existing work programme on e-commerce, 
> this workshop will still be relevant as many of the same issues are 
> also being dealt with in other trade negotiations and fora, including 
> the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), the North American Free Trade 
> Agreement (NAFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership 
> (RCEP).
>
> To facilitate a discussion about Internet-related global trade rules 
> in general, we will use the following policy issues to engender debate:
>
>   * Encryption
>   * Data localization
>   * Intermediary liability
>   * Big data (social, economic, and political dimensions)
>
>
>     Co-sponsors
>
>   * Electronic Frontier Foundation (USA, civil society)
>   * IT for Change (India, civil society)
>   * Internet Infrastructure Coalition (USA, private sector)
>   * Diplo Foundation (Malta, academic community)
>   * Public Citizen (USA, civil society)
>
>
>     Personnel
>
>
>       Volunteered
>
>   * William Drake (University of Zurich, USA/Switzerland, academic
>     community)
>   * Susan Aaronson (George Washington University, USA, academic community)
>   * David Snead (Internet Infrastructure Coalition, USA, business)
>   * Marília Maciel (Diplo Foundation, Brazil, academic community)
>   * Gus Rossi (Public Knowledge, USA, civil society)
>   * Maryant Fernandez (EDRi, Spain/Belgium, civil society)
>   * Burcu Kilic (Public Citizen, USA, civil society)
>   * Estelle Massé (Access Now, Belgium, civil society)
>   * Jean-Baptiste Velut (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, France,
>     academic community)
>   * Aileen Kwa (South Centre, inter gov organisation)
>
>
>       Invited
>
>   * Sanya Reid Smith (Third World Network, civil society)
>
>
>       Remote moderator or rapporteur
>
>   * Renata Ribeiro (Brazil, civil society)
>
>
>
> -- 
> Jeremy Malcolm
> Senior Global Policy Analyst
> Electronic Frontier Foundation
> https://eff.org
> jmalcolm at eff.org
>
> Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161
>
> :: Defending Your Rights in the Digital World ::
>
> Public key:https://www.eff.org/files/2016/11/27/key_jmalcolm.txt
> PGP fingerprint: 75D2 4C0D 35EA EA2F 8CA8 8F79 4911 EC4A EDDF 1122
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> DC-Trade mailing list
> DC-Trade at opendigital.trade
> http://opendigital.trade/mailman/listinfo/dc-trade
>
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> http://www.avg.com

-- 

Susan Ariel Aaronson, Ph.D.
Research Professor of International Affairs, Institute of International Economic Policy
GWU Cross Disciplinary Fellow and Cavalho Fellow, Government Accountability Project

Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
http://www.gwu.edu/~elliott/faculty/aaronson.cfm

Please visit the Trade and the Internet Project Web site:
http://www.gwu.edu/~iiep/signatureinitiatives/governance/taig/

Please take my free course in digital trade and international Internet issues through ICANN:

http://learn.icann.org/courses/digital-trade-and-global-internet-governance?utm_campaign=purchase_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=student_mailer

The Trade, Trust, Transparency and Accountability page is: http://www.gwu.edu/~iiep/signatureinitiatives/governance/Trade_Trust_Transparency_Accountability/

For the Repression, Civil conflict, and Leadership Tenure Project:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/spp/research/conflict-repression

To see many of my publications go to:http://goo.gl/j9bdKY

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.eff.org/pipermail/dc-trade/attachments/20170429/5a8a24ff/attachment.html>


More information about the Dc-trade mailing list