III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 446 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations should not be allowed to exercise control 

over the Internet. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 26, 2012 

Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. JOHANNS, and Ms. AYOTTE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations 

and other intergovernmental organizations should not be 

allowed to exercise control over the Internet. 

Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership 

have given the Internet flexibility to evolve; 

Whereas the position of the United States Government is and 

has been to advocate for the free flow of information, 

Internet freedom, and multi-stakeholder governance of 

the Internet internationally; 

Whereas the current multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance has enabled the Internet to flourish and allowed 

the private sector, civil society, academia, and individual 


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•SRES 446 IS 

users to play an important role in charting the direction 

of the Internet; 

Whereas, given the importance of the Internet to the global 

economy, it is essential that the underlying technical infrastructure of the Internet remain stable and secure; 

Whereas the developing world deserves the benefits that the 

Internet provides, including access to knowledge, services, 

commerce, and communication, the accompanying benefits to economic development, education, health care, and 

social assembly, and the informed discussion that is the 

bedrock of democratic self-government; 

Whereas the explosive and hugely beneficial growth of the 

Internet resulted not from increased government involvement but from the opening of the Internet to commerce 

and private sector innovation; 

Whereas the governments of some countries that advocate 

radical change in the structure of Internet governance 

censor the information available to their citizens through 

the Internet, use the Internet to prevent democratization, 

and use the Internet as a tool of surveillance to curtail 

legitimate political discussion and dissent, and other 

countries operate telecommunications systems as statecontrolled monopolies or highly regulated and highly 

taxed entities; 

Whereas some countries that support transferring Internet 

governance to an entity affiliated with the United Nations, or to another intergovernmental organization, 

might seek to have such an entity or organization endorse 

policies of those countries that block access to information, stifle political dissent, and maintain outmoded communications structures; and 


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•SRES 446 IS 

Whereas the structure and control of Internet governance has 

profound implications for democratization, free expression, competition and trade, access to information, privacy, security, and the protection of intellectual property, 

and the threat of some countries to take unilateral action 

that would fracture the root zone file would result in a 

less functional Internet with diminished benefits for all 

people: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate calls on the President— 

2 (1) to continue to oppose any effort to transfer 

3 control of the Internet to the United Nations or any 

4 other intergovernmental organization; 

5 (2) to recognize the need for, and pursue, a 

6 continuing and constructive dialogue with the inter7 national community on the future of Internet gov8 ernance; and 

9 (3) to advance the values of a free Internet in 

10 the broader trade and diplomatic efforts of the 

11 United States Government. 

Æ 


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