Lightning Talk #38 Chat with Itu International Internet Public Policy Issues

Summary

This discussion was a briefing session about the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Council Working Group on Internet and its work on international internet-related public policy issues. The session was led by Sadhvi Saran from ITU, with presentations from the working group’s chair, Wojciech Berezowski from Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, and vice chair Dr. Xiao Zhang. The working group was established in 2010 following an ITU Plenipotentiary Conference decision to create a unique platform for studying and developing international public policy issues related to the internet.

According to Council Resolution 1305, the group’s work spans critical topics including multilingualization of the internet, management of internet resources, and ensuring security, safety, continuity, sustainability, and robustness of the internet. The working group regularly organizes public consultations open to all stakeholders, including governments, private sector, academia, civil society, and individuals, having conducted ten such consultations to date. The current consultation focuses on ensuring meaningful connectivity to the internet for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), examining strategies, unique challenges, and the role of various stakeholders in addressing connectivity issues.

During the Q&A session, questions were raised about upcoming Geneva meetings and the differences between ITU’s work and ICANN’s activities. The speakers clarified that while ICANN focuses specifically on domain name system coordination, ITU’s work covers broader internet policy issues and operates through a membership-based structure with multi-stakeholder consultations. The session concluded with invitations for participants to contribute to ongoing consultations and attend future meetings, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the working group’s approach to internet governance.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **ITU Council Working Group on Internet Introduction**: The session introduced the ITU’s member state working group focused on international internet-related public policy issues, with presentations from the chair (Mr. Berezovsky from Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs) and vice chair (Dr. Zhang)

– **Scope of Work and Mandate**: The working group operates under Council Resolution 1305 and addresses critical topics including multilingualization of the internet, management of internet resources, security/safety/continuity of the internet, and development aspects to ensure an inclusive and accessible global resource

– **Public Consultation Process**: The group regularly organizes open consultations (10 to date) involving all stakeholders – governments, private sector, academia, civil society, and technical community – with the current consultation focusing on ensuring meaningful connectivity for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)

– **Relationship with Other Organizations**: Discussion of how ITU’s work differs from and complements organizations like ICANN, with ITU having a broader mandate covering multiple internet policy areas while maintaining active collaboration through various mechanisms

– **Upcoming Events and Participation**: Information about the September 2025 consultation meeting in Geneva, the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event in July, and invitations for stakeholder participation both online and in-person

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion served as an introductory briefing session at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to inform stakeholders about the ITU Council Working Group on Internet’s activities, mandate, and opportunities for multi-stakeholder participation in their public policy work on internet governance issues.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone was consistently professional, welcoming, and informative throughout. The speakers maintained a collaborative and inclusive approach, emphasizing openness to stakeholder participation and input. The atmosphere remained formal but approachable, with the presenters actively encouraging questions and future engagement. There was no significant change in tone during the conversation – it remained consistently positive and invitation-focused from beginning to end.

Speakers

– **Sadhvi Saran**: Strategy advisor on emerging technologies at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), specializing in international internet-related public policy issues

– **Wojciech Berezowski**: Chair of ITU Council Working Group on Internet, Counselor on cybersecurity affairs with the Ministry of Digital Affairs in Poland

– **Dr. Xiao Zhang**: Vice chair of ITU Council Working Group on Internet, focuses on internet public policy issues

– **Audience**: Includes Professor Xu from the Communication University of China (specific expertise not mentioned for other audience members)

Additional speakers:

– **Professor Xu**: From the Communication University of China (role/title mentioned but specific expertise not detailed)

# Summary: ITU Council Working Group on Internet Briefing Session

## Introduction and Context

This briefing session provided an introductory presentation about the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Council Working Group on Internet and its work on international internet-related public policy issues. The session was conducted at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and was led by Sadhvi Saran, who works with the ITU as a strategy advisor on emerging technologies. The presentation featured contributions from the working group’s leadership: Wojciech Berezowski, Chair of the ITU Council Working Group on Internet, and Dr. Xiao Zhang, Vice Chair of the working group.

## Organisational Background and Mandate

The ITU Council Working Group on Internet was established in 2010 following a decision at an ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. Dr. Xiao Zhang described it as “a unique platform for studying and developing international public policy issues related to the internet.” The working group operates under Council Resolution 1305 and serves as a member state-based organisation that addresses internet governance issues while maintaining an open consultation format for all stakeholders.

Dr. Xiao Zhang outlined that their work spans “critical topics including multilingualization of the internet, management of internet resources, and ensuring security, safety, continuity, sustainability, and robustness of the internet.” The group also focuses on development aspects to ensure the internet remains “an inclusive, accessible, and resilient global resource.”

## Multi-Stakeholder Engagement and Public Consultation Process

The working group demonstrates commitment to inclusive stakeholder engagement through regular public consultations. Dr. Xiao Zhang explained that the group “regularly organizes public consultations open to all stakeholders including governments, private sector, academia, civil society, technical community, and individuals.” He mentioned that they have organized what he believes to be 10 public consultations to date.

The current consultation focuses on “ensuring meaningful connectivity to the internet for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs),” examining strategies, challenges, and stakeholder roles in addressing connectivity issues. The consultation process includes meetings held in Geneva where “stakeholders who participate in consultations are invited to present contributions at Geneva meetings either in person or online.”

## Relationship with Other Organisations

When asked about differences between ITU and ICANN regarding internet public policy issues, Dr. Xiao Zhang highlighted that “ITU membership is based on multilateral membership structure, which creates unique difference from other organisations.” Sadhvi Saran clarified that “ITU’s work is broader than ICANN’s focus on coordinating domain name systems” while noting that “active collaboration exists with ICANN including mutual participation in meetings and ITU participation in ICANN’s governmental advisory committee.”

The speakers emphasized that these organisational differences support collaboration rather than competition, with both organisations serving complementary roles in the internet governance ecosystem.

## Current Activities and Future Events

The working group is currently conducting a consultation on meaningful connectivity for landlocked developing countries, with contributions being accepted until August 8, 2025. A consultation meeting is planned for Geneva in September 2025, though specific dates had not been finalized at the time of the discussion.

Dr. Zhang mentioned that participants can scan a QR code for more information about contributing to the consultation. Sadhvi Saran also referenced the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event scheduled for the following month, which would be held back-to-back with the AI for Good summit.

## Key Takeaways and Opportunities for Engagement

The ITU Council Working Group on Internet operates as a multilateral platform that combines member state meetings with open multi-stakeholder consultations. The group addresses comprehensive internet governance issues including multilingualization, resource management, security, sustainability, and digital divide challenges.

Stakeholders interested in participating can:

– Contribute to the ongoing LLDC consultation with submissions due by August 8, 2025

– Participate in the September 2025 Geneva consultation meeting (in-person or online)

– Access additional information through the QR code mentioned during the presentation

## Conclusion

This briefing session successfully introduced stakeholders to the ITU Council Working Group on Internet’s mandate, activities, and participation opportunities. The discussion highlighted the group’s commitment to multi-stakeholder engagement and its role in addressing comprehensive internet governance challenges through structured consultation processes. The working group presents an inclusive platform that bridges multilateral approaches with multi-stakeholder engagement principles in international internet policy development.

Sadhvi Saran: Ready? Ready? All right. Good morning, everyone. It’s so nice to see you all here. Thank you for joining. It’s morning and day zero. So we’re very glad you could make it, and also very happy to see a lot of familiar faces here. My name is Sadhvi Saran. I work with the International Telecommunication Union as a strategy advisor on emerging technologies. But today, we’re here on the very specific topic of international internet-related public policy issues. ITU runs a member state working group on this. But to give you a proper welcome and a proper introduction to our work, we have two incredible speakers, the chair of our working group, as well as one of our vice chairs, Dr. Zhang. But we’ll begin with our chair, so Mr. Wojciech Berezovsky, who should be online. He’s a counselor on cybersecurity affairs with the Ministry of Digital Affairs in Poland, and like I said, the chair of our council working group on internet. So if I could please request Mr. Berezovsky.

Wojciech Berezowski: Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to this lightning session of the ITU and Council Working Group on Internet. We are using this opportunity of IGF and meeting with the stakeholders to provide you with more information on our activities. And it would be great to hear your questions after the presentation which will be made by one of the vice chairs, Dr. Zhang. Unfortunately, I was not able to come to Norway to participate in person, but I’m really very, very glad to see you in the room, but also online. And I would like to pass the floor to Dr. Zhang, who will provide you with more information and a very, very good presentation on our activities. Thank you. Enjoy the session.

Sadhvi Saran: Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. And with that, we now hand over to Dr. Zhang. The floor is yours.

Dr. Xiao Zhang: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. And good morning, our chair. And thank you, Sally. Welcome to this session. And today, we’re going to have a short brief of what we are doing at CWG, Internet of ITU. That is a working group of council of ITU. We are very focused on the internet public policy. So welcome. We have a short introduction, and we are open to Q&A. So let me introduce some of the backgrounds. According to the ITU-PP, the Highest Applying Potential Conference in 2010, they decided to set up a working group on internet. So it has served as a unique platform for internet issues related to identify, study, and develop international public policy issues related to the internet. So you can see in the picture that we have some chairs, vice chairs. I’m so glad that I can join this working group. And normally, we’re working on internet-related issues. And according to our council resolution 1305, which was very clear, that our work spans a range of critical topics. Mostly, we can see linked with internet issues, which are the multilingualization of internet, the management of internet resources, and security, safety, continuity, sustainability, and robustness of internet. And also, we focus on some development aspects of internet. We see that these issues are at the heart of ensuring that internet remains inclusive, accessible, and resilient global resource. I know some of you are working also at ICANN. And we are also working on some public-related issues. And we understand that with the ever-evolving nature of the internet, that we should have more and more stakeholders to be involved in open consultations. So our group regularly organizes some public consultations on various groups. I think we have organized 10 public consultations. So it’s not only because of the complexity nature of these challenges, also because we want to draw all the aspects and experience of all of you, a broad spectrum of all the stakeholders. So the goal of this open consultation is to gather diverse perspectives that can inform and enhance the work of ITU and broader UN system on these critical issues. So our consultation is also open to all the stakeholders, including governments, private sector, academia, civil society, and technical community, and beyond, individuals also. Last year, we had another consultation. And this year, we have, with the previous ongoing public consultation, it focused on the ILDCs, that is, ensuring meaningful connectivity to the internet for landlocked development countries. And the questions we list are as the following. First, what strategies can be adopted to ensure meaningful connectivity to the internet for LLDCs? And second is, what unique challenges do LLDCs face in attaining meaningful connectivity to the internet? And also, it could include the following aspects, like affordability, quality of the bandwidth, and investments, infrastructure, enabling environment, security, and resilience. And also, what can ITU membership, is based on the multilateral. So what can ITU member states, governments, and other stakeholders, including those from transit countries, do to ensure the meaningful connectivity in these LLDCs? So this is our previous public consultation. And the date is till August 8, 2025. So you can just put your contributions, your ideas, thoughts online. And you can also scan this QR code. We have the on-spot and online consultation on September 2025. Data is not available yet, I think. But we will have it later. So you are welcome to give your opinion, both on-site or online. It’s really easy. And you can see, for the previous consultation, we have more than 10 consultations. And we have the archive online. It’s easy to find on our website. You go to the website, and there it is. is there is an archive on the page of CWG Internet. Quite easy. So again, CWG Internet thrives on collaboration dialogue. We understand your input is so valuable. So the open consultations for all of the stakeholders to put your visions and to make inclusive and secure internet for all. So we welcome all of you to join us. Thank you.

Sadhvi Saran: Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Zhang. And with that, that’s our brief presentation. And of course, an invitation to all of you to participate in our consultations and then attend the consultation meeting, which happens in Geneva at the end of each cycle to present your inputs and to have a discussion with the member states that form this group. So with that, we open up now for any questions. We still have Mr. Berezovsky online. We have Dr. Zhang here. You have myself. If there’s any questions, any comments, any feedback, we’d love to hear from you before we conclude for today. Going once, going, oh, there’s one.

Audience: Thank you very much for the introduction. I’m Professor Xu from the Communication University of China. A very technical question, what will happen in Geneva, as you have been talking about? There will be an event in Geneva, right? The second question is about the internet public issues. What are the differences, for example, between ITU and IECA in terms of the internet public policy issues? So two questions. One is a technical question about an event. The second is about difference. Thank you.

Sadhvi Saran: I can answer, or I don’t know if Wojciech is still here, if you would like to answer. Is he still online? Wojciech, would you like to answer the questions? And then I can compliment.

Wojciech Berezowski: Thank you. Thank you for the question. Thank you for your interest in the meeting and the event that the ITU will organize in autumn. So as Dr. Jacques mentioned, you are very warmly welcomed to send your input, your written comments, your written opinion to the public consultations that are now available online. The results and the opinions, the inputs will be discussed at the meeting that will be organized in Geneva. And for the open consultations meetings, all the stakeholders that are participating in these open consultations will be invited. So either in person or online, you will be able to present your contribution. You’ll be able to interact with other speakers, other stakeholders participating in this. Yes. For the second question, I would like to kindly ask you to repeat it, as I haven’t heard it exactly.

Sadhvi Saran: The second question was the difference between what the Council Working Group Internet is doing and what ICANN is doing.

Wojciech Berezowski: Speaking on ITU, the Council Working Group is consists of members, which are the administrations. But we have also this format of open consultation meetings and open consultations that are open for all stakeholders that are interested in the topic that was decided by the Council Working Group. So as for the ITU, we have this bi-annually twice a year, we have the Council Working Group meetings. And also, the Council Working Group decides on the public consultations, which are open to all stakeholders.

Dr. Xiao Zhang: I have one word for the sentence. I think ITU membership is very based on the membership. So that’s a very unique difference.

Sadhvi Saran: So just to add some more specifics to that, perhaps, the meeting for this cycle of the consultation will be sometime in September. We don’t have the exact date yet, but it’s likely to be between the 7th to the 14th of September this year. Remote participation is also available. In case you’re not able to physically travel, you can always dial in and be part of the discussions there. And as has already been mentioned, the work that we’re doing here, it comprises of a group of member states with this multi-stakeholder consultation. But we’re working on a range of topics, which includes things like the multilingualization of the internet. We just saw the focus on landlocked developing countries, management of internet resources, the security, continuity, safety, sustainability, robustness of the internet, environmental impacts, the digital divide. So the work is a little bit broader than what ICANN is doing in terms of its work as a nonprofit, focusing on coordinating the domain name systems. But we collaborate very actively. They come to ITU. We go to their meetings. We’re part of the governmental advisory committee, so there’s a lot of collaboration.

Dr. Xiao Zhang: Yeah, I think in 1305, the council resolution, it’s very clear, very clarified how we are doing. And also, there was a long history between ICANN and ITU, so it’s hard.

Sadhvi Saran: OK, any other questions? Any comments? Any feedback? No? All right. OK, with that, we’d like to thank you again so very much for joining us today. Dr. Zhang is here. I’m here. You’ll see us walking around. Feel free to catch us at any point if you have any questions that you’d like to ask personally. But of course, we look forward to seeing all of you over the course of the week, and then hopefully at the ITU. We also have WSIS Plus 20 high-level event that’s happening in July. And it’s from the 7th to the 11th of July, back-to-back with our AI for Good summit. So we also hope to see some of you in Geneva next month. All right. Thank you. See you in Geneva. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. You’re welcome. OK. Thank you.

Agreement points

Multi-stakeholder engagement is essential for internet governance

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Wojciech Berezowski
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

The group regularly organizes public consultations open to all stakeholders including governments, private sector, academia, civil society, technical community, and individuals

The Council Working Group consists of member state administrations but includes open consultation formats for all stakeholders

Invitation extended for stakeholders to participate in consultations and attend Geneva meetings

Summary

All speakers emphasized the importance of inclusive participation from diverse stakeholders in internet governance discussions, with the ITU providing multiple mechanisms for engagement including consultations and meetings

Topics

Legal and regulatory

ITU’s internet governance work has a comprehensive scope covering multiple critical areas

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

Work spans critical topics including multilingualization of internet, management of internet resources, and security, safety, continuity, sustainability, and robustness of internet

Work covers broader topics than ICANN including environmental impacts and digital divide issues

Summary

Both speakers agreed that the ITU’s mandate encompasses a wide range of internet-related issues beyond technical coordination, including security, sustainability, development, and environmental concerns

Topics

Infrastructure | Cybersecurity | Development

Geneva meetings provide structured opportunities for stakeholder input and dialogue

Speakers

– Wojciech Berezowski
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

Stakeholders who participate in consultations are invited to present contributions at Geneva meetings either in person or online

Consultation meetings happen in Geneva at end of each cycle for stakeholders to present inputs and discuss with member states

Summary

Both speakers described the Geneva meetings as formal opportunities for stakeholders to present their contributions and engage in dialogue with member states, with both remote and in-person participation options

Topics

Legal and regulatory

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the ITU’s commitment to addressing development challenges and ensuring internet accessibility for underserved populations, particularly focusing on inclusivity and connectivity issues

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

Focus includes development aspects of internet to ensure it remains an inclusive, accessible, and resilient global resource

Current consultation focuses on ensuring meaningful connectivity to internet for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Both speakers highlighted the distinctive nature of ITU’s approach to internet governance, emphasizing its multilateral structure and broader mandate compared to other organizations like ICANN

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

ITU membership is based on multilateral membership structure, which creates unique difference from other organizations

ITU’s work is broader than ICANN’s focus on coordinating domain name systems

Topics

Legal and regulatory

Unexpected consensus

Active collaboration with ICANN despite organizational differences

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

I know some of you are working also at ICANN. And we are also working on some public-related issues

Active collaboration exists with ICANN including mutual participation in meetings and ITU participation in ICANN’s governmental advisory committee

Explanation

Despite emphasizing the differences between ITU and ICANN’s approaches and mandates, both speakers acknowledged and supported active collaboration between the organizations, showing that organizational distinctions don’t preclude cooperative working relationships

Topics

Legal and regulatory

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated strong consensus on the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement, the comprehensive scope of ITU’s internet governance work, the value of structured consultation processes, and the need for inclusive approaches to internet development. There was also agreement on ITU’s distinctive multilateral approach while maintaining collaborative relationships with other organizations.

Consensus level

High level of consensus among all speakers, with no apparent disagreements or conflicting viewpoints expressed. This strong alignment suggests effective coordination within the ITU structure and shared commitment to inclusive internet governance principles. The consensus supports the legitimacy and effectiveness of ITU’s approach to internet policy issues and indicates potential for successful implementation of their multi-stakeholder engagement strategies.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

This transcript represents a highly collaborative and informational session with no identifiable disagreements among speakers. All participants (Sadhvi Saran, Wojciech Berezowski, Dr. Xiao Zhang, and the audience member) were aligned in their understanding and presentation of the ITU Council Working Group on Internet’s mission and activities.

Disagreement level

No disagreement detected. The session was characterized by complementary presentations where speakers built upon each other’s points rather than challenging them. The only questions raised were clarificatory in nature, seeking more information rather than expressing dissent. This high level of consensus suggests strong internal alignment within the ITU working group, though it may also indicate limited diversity of perspectives in this particular forum. The implications for internet governance discussions are that while this demonstrates organizational coherence, broader policy debates may require more diverse stakeholder input to surface potential areas of disagreement or alternative approaches.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the ITU’s commitment to addressing development challenges and ensuring internet accessibility for underserved populations, particularly focusing on inclusivity and connectivity issues

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

Focus includes development aspects of internet to ensure it remains an inclusive, accessible, and resilient global resource

Current consultation focuses on ensuring meaningful connectivity to internet for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Both speakers highlighted the distinctive nature of ITU’s approach to internet governance, emphasizing its multilateral structure and broader mandate compared to other organizations like ICANN

Speakers

– Dr. Xiao Zhang
– Sadhvi Saran

Arguments

ITU membership is based on multilateral membership structure, which creates unique difference from other organizations

ITU’s work is broader than ICANN’s focus on coordinating domain name systems

Topics

Legal and regulatory

Key takeaways

The ITU Council Working Group on Internet serves as a unique multilateral platform for developing international public policy on internet-related issues, established in 2010

The working group operates through a dual structure: member state meetings bi-annually and open multi-stakeholder consultations that welcome all types of participants

Current focus includes critical areas such as multilingualization, internet resource management, security/sustainability, and bridging the digital divide

The group has conducted 10 public consultations to date, with the current consultation focusing on meaningful internet connectivity for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)

ITU’s approach differs from ICANN in scope (broader policy issues vs. domain name coordination) and structure (multilateral membership-based vs. nonprofit model), though both organizations collaborate actively

The working group emphasizes inclusive participation from governments, private sector, academia, civil society, technical community, and individuals to ensure diverse perspectives inform policy development

Resolutions and action items

Participants are invited to contribute to the ongoing LLDC consultation through written submissions until August 8, 2025

A consultation meeting will be held in Geneva between September 7-14, 2025, with both in-person and remote participation options

Stakeholders are encouraged to attend the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event scheduled for July 7-11, back-to-back with the AI for Good summit

All stakeholders are invited to participate in future consultations and engage with the working group’s activities

Unresolved issues

The exact date for the September 2025 Geneva consultation meeting has not been finalized

Specific details about how the consultation results will be integrated into ITU policy development were not fully explained

The historical relationship and coordination mechanisms between ICANN and ITU were mentioned but not elaborated upon

The process for how member states use consultation inputs in their decision-making was not detailed

Suggested compromises

None identified

What are the differences, for example, between ITU and ICANN in terms of the internet public policy issues?

Speaker

Professor Xu from the Communication University of China

Reason

This question is insightful because it addresses a fundamental issue of institutional overlap and differentiation in internet governance. It challenges the presenters to clearly articulate their unique value proposition and role in the complex ecosystem of internet governance organizations, forcing them to think beyond their prepared presentation about their distinct mandate.

Impact

This question significantly shifted the discussion from a one-way presentation format to an interactive dialogue. It prompted multiple speakers to respond and clarify their organization’s positioning, leading to a more substantive explanation of ITU’s membership-based approach versus ICANN’s technical coordination role. The question opened up a deeper conversation about institutional relationships and collaborative mechanisms in internet governance.

I think ITU membership is very based on the membership. So that’s a very unique difference.

Speaker

Dr. Xiao Zhang

Reason

While brief, this comment is thought-provoking because it highlights a fundamental structural difference in internet governance approaches – the membership-based, state-centric model versus other governance structures. It touches on the core tension in internet governance between traditional multilateral approaches and multi-stakeholder models.

Impact

This comment provided a foundation for Sadhvi Saran’s more detailed explanation that followed. It served as a pivot point that allowed the discussion to evolve from a simple comparison to a more nuanced explanation of how different governance models can coexist and collaborate, as evidenced by Saran’s subsequent comments about active collaboration between the organizations.

So the work is a little bit broader than what ICANN is doing in terms of its work as a nonprofit, focusing on coordinating the domain name systems. But we collaborate very actively. They come to ITU. We go to their meetings. We’re part of the governmental advisory committee, so there’s a lot of collaboration.

Speaker

Sadhvi Saran

Reason

This comment is insightful because it demonstrates sophisticated understanding of institutional relationships in internet governance. Rather than positioning organizations as competitors, it presents a collaborative ecosystem model where different organizations have complementary rather than competing roles. It also reveals the practical mechanisms through which collaboration occurs.

Impact

This response effectively resolved the potential tension raised by the initial question about organizational differences. It shifted the conversation from a potentially divisive comparison to a collaborative framework, demonstrating how different governance approaches can work together. This comment helped conclude the substantive part of the discussion on a constructive note, showing institutional maturity in internet governance.

Overall assessment

The key comments transformed what began as a standard organizational presentation into a more meaningful dialogue about internet governance structures and institutional relationships. Professor Xu’s question served as the critical catalyst that moved the discussion beyond promotional content to substantive policy discourse. The responses from Dr. Zhang and Sadhvi Saran demonstrated how thoughtful questions can elicit more nuanced explanations of complex institutional arrangements. These exchanges revealed the sophisticated collaborative mechanisms that exist in internet governance, moving the conversation from ‘what we do’ to ‘how we fit into the broader ecosystem.’ The discussion’s evolution shows how a single well-placed question can elevate the entire level of discourse and provide genuine value to participants seeking to understand the landscape of internet governance institutions.

What are the specific dates for the Geneva consultation meeting in September 2025?

Speaker

Professor Xu from the Communication University of China

Explanation

The exact dates for the consultation meeting were not available at the time of the discussion, with only a general timeframe of September 7-14 mentioned

What are the detailed differences between ITU’s Council Working Group on Internet and ICANN’s work on internet public policy issues?

Speaker

Professor Xu from the Communication University of China

Explanation

While some differences were mentioned (membership-based vs. nonprofit structure), the response indicated there is a long history between the organizations that requires further clarification

How can the collaboration between ITU and ICANN be better understood and potentially enhanced?

Speaker

Implied from Dr. Zhang’s response

Explanation

Dr. Zhang mentioned it’s ‘hard’ to explain the relationship and that there’s a long history, suggesting this area needs more detailed exploration

What specific strategies and solutions will emerge from the LLDC consultation process?

Speaker

Implied from the presentation structure

Explanation

The consultation on meaningful connectivity for landlocked developing countries is ongoing until August 2025, with results and strategies to be developed from stakeholder input