The multistakeholder partnership initiative, was developed at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) contains over 300 public-private partnerships (Backstrand) . The achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will require a multistakeholder approach of varying sectors and actors working in an integrated manner. A multistakeholder partnership can also promote new approaches when they first emerge. Sustainable Development Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, highlights the importance of the multistakeholder partnerships for the exchange of knowledge. The multistakeholder approach has potential to improve current practice, provide entry into new markets, and an integrated exchange of best practices. This approach can help uncover gaps and areas of convergences between various goals, objectives, and evaluation frameworks for inclusive sustainable development.

The multistakeholder approach is essential for achievement of the SDGs and for combatting the effects of climate change. Climate change has no borders, and global cooperation is key to mitigating the impacts. The effects of global warming has disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities and will stand as a major obstacle for universal equality. Climate change is already impacting livelihoods and restraining already scarce resources. All citizens have a role in mitigating their carbon footprints. Privileged individuals must ensure they are doing everything to offset the impacts of their lifestyles. Americans consume more than any other country in the entire world and we must address our consumption patterns. SDG 12, Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, will need to be enforced in the United States if this goal is to be achieved. A multistakeholder approach should be used when addressing consumption and production patterns in the U.S..

Multistakeholder governance relies on a large variety of stakeholders to come together to share their ideas, concerns, resource, and perspectives to formulate productive and effective plans of action for development. An example of this is seen in goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goal which specifically states that global partnerships of diverse groups and categories must work together in order to achieve the other 16 goals by the target year. An important factor in this concept is internet governance which allows these groups to communicate from all around the world easily. The internet and new technologies allow for increases communication and transferring of information from various stakeholders. An example of one of these tools is the collaborate software that we have utilized in class. This system allows students and virtually anyone to not only listen to the lectures but also participate just as those who are physically capable of attending class in person.

IG and multistakeholder governance plays an enormous role in inclusive sustainable development. These technologies and the potential of the internet allows persons with disabilities and persons who lack the financial means to attend political forums and otherwise the capabilities to participate in the conversations and think tanks that are fueling development initiatives. This gives voice to those who need it the most and who are most effected by undeveloped communities.

The Internet Governance Forum through the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs serves as a multistakeholder process to manage internet access and behavior. The Internet Governance Forum Code of Conduct directly calls for 6 things: Treat all members of the IGF community equally, Act in a reasonable and informed manner when participating in any IGF Platform, Listen and respect all views of stakeholders when considering policies, facilitate transparency in policy discussions, act fairly and in good faith with other participants, promote ethical and responsible behavior within any IGF forum.

Once these things are established, the multistakeholder approach becomes vital to internet governance. It allows for new innovation in internet infrastructure, resolves an centralized institution surrounding the internet, and enhances inclusion of all people. This approach is necessary as the internet is intended for everyone and therefore governance of such requires input from all parties. This connects back to the Maitland Report and access to telecommunications. Moving beyond the situation of telecommunications in the 1980s when the Maitland Report was created, the idea of Multistakeholder Internet Governance takes the same ideas of inclusion and access to knowledge and applies them to the internet, now a main source of communication and information.

By considering all of the perspectives of people who could use internet, we allow for more people to be involved in internet use and overall knowledge. Not only do we allow more access to information and communication in underdeveloped areas, the knowledge these areas have to offer becomes available to the developed world. When these ideas of Traditional Knowledge are shared, it can help solve certain issues seen from scientific knowledge. Overall, by allowing for many perspectives and caring for the issues of everyone involved, the Internet Governance Forum facilitates benefits for all sides to communicate and collaborate on a wide range of issues facing the world today.

Multistakeholder Global Governance is the idea that by bringing together diverse stakeholders to participate in decision-making, policy formulation, and implementation, more comprehensive and compatible solutions to global challenges will result. In regards to internet governance, multistakeholder governance is a strategy that is extremely compatible due to the internet’s ability to unite diverse individuals from anywhere on Earth. In this incredible capacity of the internet to expand participation, multistakeholder governance has become the norm for internet governance. The strengths of this approach are numerous, but Internet Society identifies a few key situations in which a multistakeholder approach is needed:

1. When the decisions being made impact a wide range of people and interests
2. When there are overlapping rights and responsibilities across sectors and national borders
3. When the issue being addressed requires different forms of expertise in addition to diverse perspectives
4. When the legitimacy of decisions being made directly affect the success of implementation

The potential for the internet to influence the policymaking process is enormous. By expanding participation to more voices, the likelihood of developing policy solutions that consider the experiences, realities, and needs of different populations can be increased. In addition to influencing the policy making process, the internet has single handedly revolutionized the capacity for collaboration transnationally. As we have discussed in class, the internet has expanded the formation of transnational virtual collaboratories (groups of individuals working together towards shared goals). In doing so, the scope at which organizations can now work has been greatly expanded. Organizations, for example, can now have research fellows conducting their research on one side of the globe, while organizers and advocates are on the ground on the other side. The two groups can collaborate digitally, working simultaneously to achieve organizational goals. This opens up tremendous opportunities for cooperation in advancing goals in which transnational efforts are required, like the SDGs.

In 2005, WSIS defined Internet governance as: the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective role, of share principles , norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the internet’. Today the internet is operated across borders and with a multi-stakeholder approach, meaning internet government is not a product of institutional hierarchy. Instead, it is a bottom-up approach where individuals and organizations from different realms have the opportunity to participate alongside each other to share ideas and develop consensus policy. It is the most optimal way for policy decision making in a global network that allows a wide range of people to impact and make decisions, to share their experiences and problems, bring in their expertise and legitimize policies. Thus, making the multistakeholder decision making process accountable, effective as well as sustainable and inclusive. Inclusiveness is the basis of legitimacy of a decision-making process, and those who are affected by a decision should have the chance to be involved in making the it.

The Internet government forum embraces the multistakeholder model, where states-including authoritarian governments- agreed to participate in policy discussions on an equal ground with all private and civil society sectors. It serves to bring people together and discuss public policy issues, exchange information and share expertise. It facilitates a common understanding on how to maximize internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise. Chiefly, it gives developing nations a voice and a chance to engage on debate on internet governance and to facilitate their experience in existing institutions and institutions.

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multistakeholder platform where public policy pertaining to the Internet is discussed. The IGF was established in 2006 and its goal is to work towards a more sustainable and inclusive Internet. The Multistakeholder approach is so important because it allows for a wider range of ideas and interests to come together to help solve the problems surrounding the Internet. Additionally, because the Internet itself spans across countries and it makes sense that a multistakeholder approach would be the most useful. The Netmundial initiative is a platform that allows multistakeholders to come together to solve issues about Internet governance. This includes work from governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, and the technical community. Together, these different stakeholders are able to work on work on Internet related public policy and build a community of Internet governance.

Even though the multistakeholder approach is not a single solution, for something like the Internet it seems to be the best solution to solving problems and coming up with a framework for Internet governance. For example, having multiple actors working on policy helps to make sure there is more of a consensus among everyone, especially since the Internet is a global tool. A multistakeholder approach to IG is important to inclusive sustainable development because of how important the Internet and communications are to the world and to development. It is vital that the Internet remains free and open for everyone, which is why something like the IG is so necessary.

The IGF is open to all organizations and individuals with WSIS accreditation or any other group that is able to prove they have some relevance to Internet governance. The multistakeholder approach that works so well for Internet governance should be applied to other areas of development. It is important to get numerous viewpoints and experiences when it comes to solving problems related to development. By including groups that represent different constituencies into the discussion, it is possible that outcomes can be more inclusive. However, this doesn’t mean that every development issue is going to be easily solved with an international multistakeholder approach. Some issues would need to be solved within countries or within specific regions, like education and certain environmental issues. Countries that are surround by water have more cause to be concerned about flooding than landlocked countries. That does not mean that working with other countries or governments isn’t helpful, but having multiple parties discussing at one time can make reaching a consensus difficult.