Public Statement from the Representative Director of JANE: the matter concerning the Internet Governance
January 9, 2013

Hiroshi Mikitani
Representative Director
Japan Association of New Economy

RE: Public Statement from the Representative Director of JANE: the matter concerning the Internet Governance

At the World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) which had been convened by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) from December 3 to 14, 2012, the resolution on the revision of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) and other related matters had been adopted. We believe that the Internet Governance related matters will be discussed continuoursly; however, we, Japan Association of New Economy, would like to take this opportunity to express our opinion publicaly as follows.

1. The internet has amplified the power of people and entrepreneus worldwide and has been a significant platform to trigger the innovation. In order to maintain this platform, it is indispensable to secure an environment that would distribute the information freely for anyone to have an unrestricted access to the information over the internet.
2. In the future, it certainly needs to avoid the situation that would allow ITU’s excessive involvement as well as the content restriction of the internet by each country: the censorhip and the interception of an intenet access based on the outcome discussed and regulated by ITU’s grounds. The intenet is a basis of the information distribution beyond the border; however, with each country’s interventions, it would be resulting with cutting off the information distribution. Furthermore, the economical advantage provided by the internet would be greatly diminished.
3. Based on the above, we state that it is necessary to avoid an excessive involvement on the internet operation by the government or the organizations wehre a nation is the constitution member, but rather the multi-stakeholders should administer an appropriate system for its maintenance. It is our request for the Japanese Government and relevant professionals to take the above mentioned points into considerations, and pursue the discussion internationally.