SDG 9 establishes the importance of building resilient infrastructure in order to facilitate economic development.The WSIS community has embraced this imperative, committing to broadening access and fostering innovation. But as the actors that develop and manage the Internet's infrastructure are increasingly considered to be its gatekeepers, these intermediaries have gained an even more critical role in ensuring a free and open Internet. Incidents of Internet shutdowns and network disruptions are on the rise. Freedom House concludes that Internet censorship has increased for the sixth consecutive year worldwide. Systems of surveillance have matured and proliferated. The result is clear: as users lose trust and confidence in the Internet as a free and open space, so too will they be chilled from capturing the full potential of the Internet as a platform for robust economic opportunity.  

The integrity of the Internet's infrastructure is under threat. So, how do we ensure its resilience?

Several documents forming the discursive foundation of Internet governance, including the outcome document of the WSIS+10 Review, the NETmundial Multistakeholder Statement, and the latest reports of UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on freedom of expression David Kaye, have affirmed that the global infrastructure of the Internet must be managed so that it enables the exercise of human rights. Indeed, the international human rights framework remains a strong tool to protect Internet users, facilitating robust considerations for ensuring freedom of expression, freedom of association, privacy, and other human rights online. Implementing this framework is a crucial factor for fostering a more resilient global Internet infrastructure. But how can the technical actors and communities that develop, manage, and operate this infrastructure meaningfully take on this responsibility? 

This workshop will explore the relevance of human rights to the global Internet infrastructure through a conversation with representatives from key standards development organizations, Internet governance bodies, and policy organizations: the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the Internet Society (ISOC). The panel will provide insights on how the human rights framework contributes to the resilience of Internet infrastructure. In doing so, panelists will discuss the ongoing developments within their respective organizations towards greater considerations for human rights, and how contravening interests and objectives within these communities can be balanced to maintain the Internet’s technical architecture while also enabling human rights and the SDGs. The moderated discussion will be followed by the opportunity for audience members to pose questions to the expert panelists.