WCIT failure: Future of digital Tower of Babel endangered?

WCIT (World Conference on International Telecommunications), a high level dialogue related to governance of the digital world, came to an end without consensus. Agreement on the update of the anachronous governance models proposed could not be found among governments, let alone among all stakeholders.

In the meantime, a digital Tower of Babel grows faster than ever, built by the united humanity.

“Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)

With no building plan or global coordination in place, however, digital tower is becoming more and more fragile and unstable. Will it end as the mythical Tower of Babel did?

“And the Lord said ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ ” (Genesis 11:6-7)

If it does end the same way, it will be us, not the Lord, who tears it down.

What consequences will the failure of WCIT have? How will the uncompromising positions of the two polarised blocks of governments affect IG as we know it? How can stakeholders reconcile and achieve coordinated global governance of the Internet? It’s time to discuss this all again.

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