The  Best  Practice  Forum  (BPF)  on    Developing  Meaningful  Multistakeholder  Participation  Mechanism1    Written  by  Shita  Laksmi2      Indonesia  in  IGF  2013  and  the  way  forward    Indonesia  was  practicing  the  multistakeholder  mechanism  when  the  2013  Global  Internet   Governance   Forum   (IGF)  was   hosted   in   Bali.   It  was   the   first   time   IGF  received  resources   from  multistakeholder  entities  such  as,  private,  government  and   civil   society   organizations   (CSOs),   nationally   and   globally.   More   than   just  resources,  the  preparation  processes,  which  range  from  negotiation  with  United  Nations   and   logistical   issues,   were   also   exercising   in   multistakeholder  mechanism.      Multistakeholder   mechanism   was   relatively   new   terminology   for   most   of   the  Indonesian   stakeholders   involved   in   IGF   2013.   Trust,   the   key   element   of   this  mechanism,  was  developed  in  parallel  with  the  process.      To  ensure  that  the  national  team  of,  Indonesia  IGF  (ID-­‐IGF),  has  sufficient  trust  to  carry  on  working  in  a  transparent  and  accountable  principle,   financing  was  the  first   mechanism   that   the   team   agreed   to   set   in   place.   Finance   was   the   most  tangible  issue  at  hand,  which  was  considered  easily  breaking  the  trust.  An  audit  finance  institution  was  chosen  and  the  team  agreed  to  add  another  independent  entity,   which   could   act   as   financial   reviewer   during   the   preparation   process  before  we  submit  to  the  audit  agency.      The  overall  process  of  preparing  the  hosting  of  IGF  2013  was  relatively  short.  It  was  started  in  November  2012  and  less  than  a  year,  Indonesia  should  be  able  to  close   the   gaps   in   financing   as   well   as   negotiating   the   host   country   agreement  (HCA).     And   of   course,   intensive   and   rapid   coordination   among   national   and  global  stakeholders  was  very  challenging  with  various  breakthroughs.  With  such  a   short  process,   the   ID-­‐IGF  was  able   to  deliver  majority  of   expected  outcomes.  There  were  some  shortfall   in   the  process  but  after  a   series  negotiation   in  both  HCA  and  funding,  all  stakeholders  had  come  to  an  agreement  that  Indonesia  has  reached  the  point  of  no  return.  The  show  must  go  on!      Following   the   successful   implementation   of   IGF   2013,   Indonesia,   especially  stakeholders   who   were   part   of   the   ID-­‐IGF,   including   the   Ministry   of  Communication   and   Information   Technology   (MCIT)   are   continuously  strengthening  the  multistakeholder  mechanism.    

                                                                                                               1  This  document  submitted  to  the  Best  Practice  Forum  for  Internet  Governance  Forum  2015.    2  Shita  Laksmi  is  one  of  the  co  founders  of  Indonesia  Internet  Governance  Forum.  She  is  representing  Civil  Society  stakeholder.  She  is  working  at  Hivos  Southeast  Asia,  currently  serves  as  a  member  of  Multistakeholder  Advisory  Group  for  Internet  Governance  Forum  in  the  United  Nations.    

For  example,  in  the  realm  of  online  content  policy,  specifically  for  handling  illegal  content   (e.g.   racial,   religious   hatred,   copyright   infringement   and   other   illegal  content   regulated  by   the   law),  MCIT  has   initiated  a  multi-­‐stakeholder   forum  to  provide   recommendations   for   the   Ministry.   Multistakeholder   mechanism   has  also   part   of   the   norm   for   PANDI,   the   .ID   Indonesian   Domain   Name   Registry.  Based   on   the  MCIT  Ministerial   Decreee   as   of   October   2013,   PANDI   have   been    using   multistakeholder   approach   by   putting   the   highest   decision-­‐making   on   a  multistakeholder  forum.        However,  there  are  a  lot  of  lessons  to  carry  in  the  process.  One  highlight  we  carry  over  until  now  is   the  difficulty   in  balancing  the  process  of  multistakeholder.  As  we  have  learned,  we  noted  that  Multistakeholder  process  is  balancing  the  three  main  pillars  of  the    “quality”  of  stakeholder  participation,  the  “legitimacy”  of  the  decision   making   process   and   the   “immediacy”   on   the   availability   of   the  regulation.   Balancing   the   three   main   pillars   at   the   same   time   was   indeed   a  challenge.      With  such  a  short  time  of  preparing  IGF  2013,  we  might  undeliberately  leave  out  the   quality   of   stakeholder   participation   and   focused   on   the   legitimacy   and  immediacy   of   decision   making   process.   After   IGF   2013,   the   main   tasks     for  Indonesia  (in  particular  ID-­‐IGF)  is  to  disseminate  further  what  multistakeholder  mechanism   can   do   best   and   be   as   inclusive   as   possible.   The   platform   for  discussion  is  already  in  place,  it  is  the  time  to  act  further  upon  it.      There  are  some  efforts  being  done  to  achieve  that.  In  civil  society,  as  one  of  the  stakeholders,   is   conducting  a   series  of   capacity  building   for  wider   civil   society.  Civil   society   is   taking   an   active   part   in   multistakeholder   dialogues   which  provided   by   themselves   but   also   other   stakeholders   such   as   private   and  government  sector.        In   late   2014,   ID   IGF   established   its   new   structure   (Board   of   ID-­‐IGF).   The  composition   is   based   on   five   stakeholders:   government,   technical   community,  private   sector,   civil   society   organizations   and   academician.   There   are   new  prominent   names   sitting   in   board  members.   Its  main   focus   is   is   to   encourage  other   relevant   stakeholders   to   get   involved   and   engaged   in   the   Internet  governance  dialogue.    #end