[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 61 (Thursday, April 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 446

       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.

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