The 21st RIF+KIB Russian Internet Forum opened in the Moscow Region on April 19. In his opening speech, Director of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ Andrey Vorobyev spoke about the international trends, the role of the state and self-regulation of the industry, as well as about new technology challenges related to the governance of the internet and national domains. He emphasized the importance of involving young people in internet governance.
When addressing international trends in internet governance, Vorobyev said that regional clusters of countries are appearing with a similar agenda and approaches that strive to exchange experience in this area. These clusters form on a geographical basis, not due to economic or ideological principles.
Vorobyev also spoke about two trends related to the government’s attitude to internet governance. Some countries such as Switzerland and Australia are on the way to expanding state governance of the internet, while some countries are trying to introduce self-regulating mechanisms. Many experts agree that for most cases, a hybrid model is the best option: industrial regulators are independent to a great extent, but they work together with the government for the benefit of all interested parties.
“The internet that we created many years ago has changed a lot. The government’s attitude to it and to national domain regulation has changed as well. Today, the government takes a much more active part in the operations of the Coordination Center and in the governance of the national domains .RU and .РФ. The same trend can be seen in many other countries. But we are witnessing many issues that require new approaches to governance and regulation, and we ask ourselves who will be in charge of it tomorrow. There is a shortage of specialists in the IT industry. Therefore, one of the most crucial tasks of today is getting young people involved in internet governance; this is the only way we will be able to train staff for the future internet,” Vorobyev said.
The Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ is the forum’s official partner. On April 20, Hall 3 will host the section Domain Trends in Russia and the World. For the entire forum, the National Russian Domains .RU and .РФ tent will welcome visitors to meet with accredited registrars and learn about about their services. The Spring IT Race will take place on the morning of April 20, on the
