[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 446 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 446

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations and other 
   intergovernmental organizations should not be allowed to exercise 
                       control over the Internet.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 26, 2012

   Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Johanns, and Ms. Ayotte) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations and other 
   intergovernmental organizations should not be allowed to exercise 
                       control over the Internet.

Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership have given the 
        Internet flexibility to evolve;
Whereas the position of the United States Government is and has been to advocate 
        for the free flow of information, Internet freedom, and multi-
        stakeholder governance of the Internet internationally;
Whereas the current multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance has enabled 
        the Internet to flourish and allowed the private sector, civil society, 
        academia, and individual users to play an important role in charting the 
        direction of the Internet;
Whereas, given the importance of the Internet to the global economy, it is 
        essential that the underlying technical infrastructure of the Internet 
        remain stable and secure;
Whereas the developing world deserves the benefits that the Internet provides, 
        including access to knowledge, services, commerce, and communication, 
        the accompanying benefits to economic development, education, health 
        care, and social assembly, and the informed discussion that is the 
        bedrock of democratic self-government;
Whereas the explosive and hugely beneficial growth of the Internet resulted not 
        from increased government involvement but from the opening of the 
        Internet to commerce and private sector innovation;
Whereas the governments of some countries that advocate radical change in the 
        structure of Internet governance censor the information available to 
        their citizens through the Internet, use the Internet to prevent 
        democratization, and use the Internet as a tool of surveillance to 
        curtail legitimate political discussion and dissent, and other countries 
        operate telecommunications systems as state-controlled monopolies or 
        highly regulated and highly taxed entities;
Whereas some countries that support transferring Internet governance to an 
        entity affiliated with the United Nations, or to another 
        intergovernmental organization, might seek to have such an entity or 
        organization endorse policies of those countries that block access to 
        information, stifle political dissent, and maintain outmoded 
        communications structures; and
Whereas the structure and control of Internet governance has profound 
        implications for democratization, free expression, competition and 
        trade, access to information, privacy, security, and the protection of 
        intellectual property, and the threat of some countries to take 
        unilateral action that would fracture the root zone file would result in 
        a less functional Internet with diminished benefits for all people: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls on the President--
            (1) to continue to oppose any effort to transfer control of 
        the Internet to the United Nations or any other 
        intergovernmental organization;
            (2) to recognize the need for, and pursue, a continuing and 
        constructive dialogue with the international community on the 
        future of Internet governance; and
            (3) to advance the values of a free Internet in the broader 
        trade and diplomatic efforts of the United States Government.
                                 <all>