Australia's Request for Comment on Internet Governance
The Australian government's Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) is responsible for coordinating Australia's participation in the World Summit on Information Society and related regional and preparatory meetings. To help fulfil its mission, DCITA "is seeking the views of interested parties to assist the Australian Government in its participation in a forthcoming international meeting on Internet Governance..."

Specific issues on which the Australian government is seeking public comment by the end of August include:

1) The scope of the Working Group on Internet Governance Group's work and its method of operations;

2) The adequacy of existing international arrangements in facilitating deployment and use of the Internet in a transparent and accountable manner; and

3) The respective roles of governments, the private sector, academic and technical experts and civil society in internet governance.

The future of internet governance is of crucial importance to the American economy and to diverse American stakeholders. The federal officials responsible for developing the US government's policies on internet governance, including participation in WSIS, could benefit from Australia's example of soliciting public comment.