Internet governance process
The argument for specialists is that in order to address technical issues, one needs in-depth knowledge of those issues. According to this view, for example, scientific background is needed in order to negotiate climate change issues. Diplomats usually deal with political, social, and other non-technical aspects of negotiated issues. The success of the IGF’s leadership – Desai and Kummer – challenged the urban governance myth that technical issues must be managed by technical experts. As newcomers to the Internet governance field, Desai and Kummer provided a non-partisan contribution to a long-standing debate on issues such as the position of ICANN, regulation of domain names, etc. Sometimes, as the IGF shows, the ‘diplomatisation’ of dealing with technical issues can help overcome traditional disputes in technical communities. The IGF experience confirms that there isn’t a ready-made recipe for engaging specialists and generalists. It is a dynamic interplay that depends on specific contexts and individuals involved. The only ‘tip’ is to develop awareness about the risk of specialists or generalists having an exclusive role.
Increase inclusiveness and participation Enhance national ‘diplomatic footprints’ through involvement of nonstate actors in diplomatic initiatives4 With more players and more complex issues to deal with, the traditional diplomatic approach is limited. Even the most efficient diplomatic services cannot provide as much ‘diplomatic bandwidth’ (i.e. qualified human resources) as is required. Broader diplomatic bandwidth can be provided by the inclusion of actors from civil society, the business sector, local authorities, and other entities involved in global policy processes. Some, such as Canada, Switzerland, and the Scandinavian states, recognised this evolution earlier on and have already integrated non-state actors in their foreign policy activities. This practice is not common in many developing countries, where the diplomatic services are small with limited financial and human resources, and where national multistakeholder structures have appeared only during the last few years. The IGF contributed in a practical way towards raising awareness of the advantages of multistakeholderism in government circles, in particular among developing countries. Apart from the broader principle of inclusiveness, the 187