The public core of the Internet. An international agenda for Internet governance

The Internet should be a key area in the Netherlands’ foreign policy in order to protect the public core of the Internet from improper interference. In its report The public Core of the Internet. An international agenda for Internet governance (Report no. 94, 2015), the WRR sets out three priorities for a diplomatic agenda.

The public core of the Internet

Parts of the Internet have the characteristics of a global public good. The Internet can only function as a public good if the core values of universality, interoperability and accessibility are guaranteed and if the key objectives of information security (confidentiality, integrity and availability) are supported. New ways have to be found to permanently safeguard the general functioning of this public core.

An international Internet policy

The overriding importance of Internet security implies a diplomatic approach in which the Internet is treated as a key issue. That finding prompts the WRR to define three priorities for a diplomatic agenda: (1) establishing an international norm that provides that the core protocols of the Internet should be regarded as a neutral zone; (2) distinguishing and defining different levels of security; (3) expanding the diplomatic arena.