Institute for Internet Policy & Law @ Beijing Normal University

On 1 October 2016, the contract between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the United States Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to perform the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, has officially expired. This historic moment marks the transition of the coordination and management of the Internet’s unique identifiers to the private-sector, a process that has been committed to and underway since 1998.

Prof. Xue, as a long-time active member on the Multi-stakeholder Steering Group of Asia Pacific Regional IGF (APrIGF) called for US government to timely  complete the IANA oversight transition as scheduled at APrIGF 2016 in Taipei. As a member of the Draft Committee, Prof. Xue suggested use the strong and unequivocal wording to support the global multi-stake process for the transition.

Before the IANA Functions contract ended on October 1st, 2016, some in the US Congress had challenged the validity of the proposal to transfer (or “transition”) the oversight role currently exercised by the US Administration, to a multi-stakeholder Internet community equipped with accountability mechanisms.

Prof. Xue, along with the other Internet leaders, signed on a letter sent to the President of the United States of America on September 14, 2016. Similar letters were sent to the Speaker and Leadership of the House of Representatives, as well as to the President pro tempore and Leadership of the Senate. In these letters, the signatories state: “It is our sincere hope that the Administration will now implement, and that the Congress of the United States of America will not impede the transition of oversight of the IANA Functions.”

Below is the full text of the letter.

List of recipients of our letters:
- President Barack Obama,
- Ms. Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce
- Hon. Ryan Paul, Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Hon. Harry Reid, Democratic Leader
- Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader
- Hon. Orrin Hatch, President pro tempore of the Senate
- Hon. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader

Copies of these letters were sent to:
- Dr. Larry Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Administrator of NTIA
- Ms. Fiona Alexander, NTIA
- Dr. Steve Crocker, Chair, and Members of the ICANN Board
- Members of the ICG

Copies of the letters were communicated by separate emails to the following media:
- TheHill.com
- RollCall.com
- BBC North America
- Washington Internet Daily
- Bloombert BNA
- The Guardian, London

* * *

12th of September, 2016
To:
The President of the United States of America
(…)

Dear Mr. President:

As the first truly universal infrastructure in human history, the Internet has allowed huge progress to be achieved in business, legislation, science, public health, agriculture, industry, education and communications, at the same time as it has facilitated the daily lives of ordinary citizens all over the world.

Because of the seminal contribution of the United States of America in creating the Internet and carrying forward so many of its subsequent developments, your country has earned the deep and lasting gratitude of billions of people. In fact, today’s younger generations in so many countries cannot even imagine life without the benefits of ubiquitous connectivity, quick and free access to knowledge, as well as the facilitation of social intercourse.

As individuals deeply engaged in, and committed to improving the integrity, stability and uses of the Internet, we believe that now is an appropriate time to confirm the multi-stakeholder model of the Internet, in a way that would benefit both the United States and the rest of the world. In this respect, we note that the United States have consistently considered that the further development of the Internet would best be served by a global multi-stakeholder model:

1. At the inception of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in September 1998, the U.S. Government and Internet stakeholders envisioned that the U.S. oversight of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions (“IANA functions”) would be temporary. Also in 1998, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Statement of Policy that the U.S. Government “is committed to a transition that will allow the private sector to take leadership for DNS (Domain Name System) management.”

2. In December 2012, the House of Representatives and the Senate jointly stated: “It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, should continue working to implement the position of the United States on Internet governance that clearly articulates the consistent and unequivocal policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control and preserve and advance the successful multistakeholder model that governs the Internet today.” (H.Con.Res.127; S.Con.Res.50).

3. In March 2014, the National Telecommunication and Information Agency (NTIA) announced its intention to transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community. As the first step, NTIA asked ICANN to convene global stakeholders to develop a proposal to transition the current oversight role played by NTIA in the coordination of the Internet’s domain name system, and set out four criteria for such a transition to merit consideration. As requested, ICANN convened the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) which started work in December 2014.

4. In March 2016 the ICG, with the input of the Internet community, submitted its Proposal to NTIA. The NTIA certified that the Proposal met the four criteria (June 2016), approved it (August 2016), and announced its intention to let the IANA Functions contract expire on October 1st, 2016.

It is our belief and indeed our conviction that the transition of oversight of the IANA Functions, from an agency of the United States Government to a multi-stakeholder system equipped with detailed checks and balances, will safeguard the security, openness and efficiency of the Internet, while helping to meet some of the challenges facing humanity and the world in which we live.

In bringing this to your esteemed attention, we are inspired by the fact that the foundation of the United States of America was, in itself, a major innovation of its time: it set out a model of government predicated on principles, a judiciary unswerved by political partisanship, and an economic model in which wealth and success would be earned by initiative and enterprise rather than by inheritance alone. Implementing those lofty principles required open information, as well as the awareness and growing participation of citizens. For the Internet today, the challenges are not very different.

It is our sincere hope that the Administration will now implement, and that the Congress of the United States of America will not impede the transition of oversight of the IANA Functions.

We are addressing similar letters to the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the Honorable President pro tempore of the Senate.

Most respectfully,
On behalf of the signatories listed below:
Jean-Jacques Subrenat
(Ambassador, ret.)

SIGNATORIES:

The Hon. Carl Bildt (Sweden)
Chair, Global Commission on Internet Governance; former Prime Minister & Foreign Minister

Dr. Vinton G. Cerf (United States)
former Chair of the Board of ICANN, Internet Pioneer

Ms. Avri Doria (United States)
Principal Researcher, Technicalities

Mr. Roberto Gaetano (Italy)
Chair, the Public Interest Registry

Prof. Dr. MURAI Jun 村井 純 (Japan)
Dean & Professor, Environment and Information Studies, Keio University
Founder of Junet & WideProject

Dr. Nii Narku Quaynor (Ghana)
Chairman, Ghana Dot Com Ltd.; founding Chairman of AfriNIC

Ms. Njeri Rionge (Kenya)
Founder & CEO, Ignite Consult. & Investment; co-founder & Director, Wananchi Online Ltd.

The Hon. Ms. Marietje Schaake (Netherlands)
Founder, Intergroup on the Digital Agenda for Europe; Member of the European Parliament

Mr. Jean-Jacques Subrenat (France)
Ambassador (ret.); Former member, ICANN Board; Member of the ICG (2014~)

Dr. Prof. XUE Hong 薛虹 (China)
Founding Director, Institute for Internet Policy & Law, Beijing Normal Univ. 北京师范大学

Dr. Prof. YOKOZAWA Makoto 横澤 誠 (Japan)
Professor, Kyoto University; Vice Chair of the Internet Economy WG, Keidanren

(Views expressed in this letter are those of the signatories, and do not purport to represent the positions of entities with which they may be associated.)

2016年9月23日下午，《电子商务法》草案跨国企业座谈会（A Dialogue on Chinese Draft E-Commerce Law with Overseas Enterprises）在后主楼1822高铭暄学术会议室举行。

本次会议由北京师范大学互联网政策与法律研究中心主任薛虹教授现场主持，全国人民代表大会财政经济委员会研究室副主任施禹之同志出席并讲话。美国信息产业机构（USITO）、Visa、Nike、Amazon、Google、AT&T、HPI、IBM、Verizon、Intel等跨国企业以及德国联邦国际经济合作机构（GIZ）的代表参加共计30余人参加了会议。与会代表针对《电子商务法》草案的内容进行了认真细致的研讨，提出了自己的意见和建议。

会议开始，首先由薛虹教授介绍了《电子商务法》的立法进程以及本次会议的议程。此次会议的目的为听取跨国企业对于《电子商务法》草案的意见。

随后出席会议的各位代表围绕电子商务法适用主体和范围、网络信用评价体系、非授权支付以及数据保护和流动等问题提出问题及评论意见。薛虹教授以其丰富的实务经验和深厚的学术素养，对跨国企业代表们的所提出问题等进行了详尽解答。施禹之主任对《电子商务法》草案的立法精神、立法原则以及与国际电子商务法律的对接问题进行了阐述。

会议最后，施禹之在总结讲话中对各位代表的出席和建议表示衷心感谢，并表示《电子商务法》必定为科学之法、民主之法、开门之法，与世界潮流接轨，而《电子商务法》的出台必定有力地规范及促进国内乃至世界电子商务经济的发展。与会成员进行合照，本次座谈会圆满结束。

The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Summer Seminar 2016 on Digital Economy was held in the last week of August 2016 in Tokyo. Prof. Xue, as a Member of Academic Advisory Council of The Asia Pacific Institute for the Digital Economy (APIDE) joined the seminar and taught at several sessions to the governmental officers from the APEC economies. Prof. Xue gave an orientation on digital economy and policy shifting in the world and presented on copyright and innovation industry in the digital economy.

APRU provides a framework for a range of cooperative activities among universities in the region, with current joint projects on climate change, the aging society, disaster preparedness, and global health. Reflecting the growing importance of the Internet, the 2014 APRU Annual Presidents’ Meeting agreed to work on a joint Initiative on “Governing the DIgital Economy.” The goal is to bring the academic community in the region into stronger contact with other members of the multistakeholder community concerned with the future development of the Internet.

Under the framework of the APRU Internet Governance Initiative, Keio University has hosted an annual APRU Digital Economy Business Offsite engaging the business community in the region and an APRU Digital Economy Summer Seminar working with regulators to build capacity in the Internet policy space. APIDE, established in 2012, is a research institute that can work with the academic community to clarify policy options and help build consensus around a set of pragmatic actions based on solid research and analysis throughout the Asia Pacific.

The 6^th APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance Forum was held on June 28-30, 2016, in Jinjiang, China. Prof. Xue, who was appointed on the Expert Council of the APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance, presented at the Forum on the International and Global e-Businesses and joined the Expert Council meeting. She was one of the primary drafters of the Jinjiang Proposal, a statement officially released at the Forum and later presented at APEC meetings.

In line with the theme “Promoting inclusive trade through cross-border E-Commerce “, the Forum explored the new development of cross-border E-Commerce for SMEs to participate in international trade in terms of opportunities, challenges and the future deeply and comprehensively, and how to ensure data privacy security issues in the era of big data, and discussed the impacts of developing cross-border E-Commerce on benefiting SMEs,  driving a new round of global economic development and deepening the Asia-Pacific regional economic cooperation, so as to promoting stability, development and prosperity in Asia-Pacific region.

The Jinjiang Proposal made the following suggestions to global community:

For this purpose, our suggestions are as follows;

1. To fully implement policy and business research advantages of the Alliance within its own field, actively explore practical ways and future prospect for small, medium and micro enterprises to participate in international trade and integrate into international value chain including obstacles which existing international trading system have on small, medium and micro enterprises integrate into international value chain, cross-border E-Commerce platform and environment, conditions and methods for small, medium and micro enterprises to develop cross-border e-commerce, to actively explore small, medium and micro enterprises innovation and entrepreneurship under the condition of Internet; to investigate innovation needs of each member country regulation mode regarding cross-border E-Commerce including the effective regulatory methods which the government and regulatory body have on flows of digital data and technologies, the protection which innovative systems and rules have on small ,medium and micro enterprises and the interests of consumers etc. These methods will promote and encourage small, medium and micro enterprises to participant in international trade through E-Commerce effectively.
2. To actively promote each member’s government and industry organizations, try to form the rules for cross-border E-Commerce platform, establish cross-border E-Commerce credit verification system and markets for small, medium and micro enterprises in APEC region, to encourage cooperation and collaboration modes such as the Government and Enterprises ( PPP), platform and platform , reform international logistics practice, establish new international payment systems and credit rules in order for small, medium and micro enterprises to carry out cross-border E-Commerce.
3. It recommends that all APEC governments and regulatory bodies allow for the development of industry standards for information technology and e-commerce that can be applied and observed equally by all SMEs throughout the APEC region.  This will require that all relevant industry participants, especially SMEs, be allowed to participate in the process of developing these standards.  The process could be organized and sponsored by the government agencies, but industry participants (including SMEs) should be allowed significant opportunity to present decisive input, and the process must be fair and transparent. The resulting industry standards must be acceptable and readily practicable throughout the APEC region not only applicable to certain entity. The result should be a network of e-commerce infrastructure that SMEs from any nation in APEC can access to participate and compete effectively in international trade throughout the region.
4. To be active and efforts can be made into the following aspects;

a)       To set up designative contacts system and information-sharing network within the APEC region, publish each economy entity’s updates , relevant policy, cooperation projects in the field of E-Commerce, and promote information exchange within all members, share E-Commerce development results and achievements;

b)      To summarize the APEC region cross-border E-Commerce best practices and serve in exchanging visits between enterprises, business cooperation, technical support, investment and promote the development and progress for commercial and industry enterprises in the APEC region;

c)       To emphasize and strengthen capacity-building in the field of E-Commerce and encourage capacity-building training activities, shorten the difference among the economies, and promote APEC economies complementary advantages for each other.

5. We are committed to continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation with other relevant international, regional cooperation organizations and forums, so that APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance would play a more important role in regional and global economic governance system.

2016 Spring Week for UNCITRAL and BNU Joint Certificate Program on International E-Commerce Law (JCP) has successfully concluded with three major academic events.

1. Expert Lecture on Current UNCITRAL projects on E-commerce: ETRs and eIdM

On June 14, 2016, 18:00-20:00, JCP organized the Expert Lecture at the Law School Auditorium 1824 New Main Building, Beijing Normal University. Prof. Xue, the Co-Director of JCP, moderated the Lecture and reviewed the development of JCP, including three JCP weeks organized consecutively since 2014. Dr. Luca Castellani, Co-Director of JCP, gave a presentation on the so-called “uniform legal texts” of UNCITRAL on e-commerce, such as the two Model Laws and UNECC and recent initiatives on electronic transferable records (ETRs) and electronic identity management. More than twenty students joined the Lecture and interacted with the Directors.

2.  INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE LEGISLATION

Program

June 15,2016

Morning Moderator: Mr. Li Shenglin, Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

9:00-10:10 Opening

Keynote Speech: E-Commerce Legislation in the Globalized Economy

Mr. Lü Zushan, Deputy Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China (30 minutes)

Opening Addresses

Mr. Tong Daochi, Assistant Minister of Commerce, People’s Republic of China (10 minutes)

Mr. Hong Hao, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress (10 minutes)

Mr. Luca Castellani, Representative of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (10 minutes)

10:10-10:30 Tea Break

10:30-11:50 Theme I: Scope of Application and Principles of Electronic Commerce Legislation

Speakers:

Prof. Xue Hong, Law School of Beijing Normal University (20 minutes)

Mr. Luca Castellani, Secretary of the Working Group on Electronic Commerce, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (20 minutes)

Q & A (40 minutes)

 12:00-14:30 Lunch Break

Afternoon Moderator: Mr. Lü Zushan, Deputy Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

 14:30-15:50 Theme II: Electronic Commerce Operational Subjects’ Rights, Obligations and Liabilities

Speakers:

Prof. Xue Jun, Law School of Peking University (15 minutes)

Mr. Michael D. Panzera, Esq., Attorney, Office of International Affairs, Federal Trade Commission, the United States of America (15 minutes)

Mr. Stefan Schnor, Director of Digital and Innovative Policy Department, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany (15 minutes)

Q & A (35 minutes)

15:50-16:10 Tea Break

 16:10-17:30 Theme III: Electronic Transactions and Services (electronic contracts, payment and logistics)

Speakers:

Mr. Zhao Lei, Deputy Director of Policy and Regulation Department, State Post Bureau (15 minutes)

Prof. Yang Dong, Law School of Renmin University (15 minutes)

Mr. Fukuhara Tadahiko, President of Japanese Electronic Payment Association, Ex-President of Chuo University (15 minutes)

Q & A (35 minutes)

June 16,2016

 Morning Moderator: Mr. Yin Zhongqing, Deputy Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

9:00-10:20 Theme IV: Electronic Commerce Data Information

Speakers:

Prof. Li Yuxiao, Director of Internet Governance and Law Research Center, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (20 minutes)

Ms. Elise Latify, Data Protection Authority, Commission Nationale Informatique et Libertés, France (20 minutes)

Q & A (40 minutes)

10:20-10:40 Tea Break

 10:40-12:00 Theme V: Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests and Electronic Commerce Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

Speakers:

Prof. Yang Jianzheng, Shanghai University for Science and Technology (15 minutes)

Mr. Eric Tang Chee How, Assistant Director, International Trade Cluster, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Republic of Singapore (15 minutes)

Ms. Ulrike Lemmel, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, Germany (15 minutes)

Q & A (35 minutes)

12:00-14:30 Lunch Break

Afternoon Moderator: Mr. Peng Sen, Deputy Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

14:30-15:30 Theme VI: Electronic Commerce Transactional Security (Intellectual Property and Market Competition)

Speakers:

Mr. Luo Peixin, Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (15 minutes)

Mr. Benoît Lory, Minister Counsellor in charge of IP and Competition matters at the Delegation of the European Union to China (15 minutes)

Q & A (30 minutes)

15:30-15:50 Tea Break

 15:50-17:10 Theme VII: Cross-Border Electronic Commerce

Speakers:

Mr. Chen Fuli, Deputy Director of Treaty and Law Department, Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China (15 minutes)

Mr. Yann Duval, Chief of Trade Facilitation, Trade and Investment Department, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (15 minutes)

Mr. Kevin Willis, Director of Global Trade Services Department, Amazon.com (15 minutes)

Q & A (35 minutes)

17:10-17:30 Conclusion

Closing Remarks

Mr. Lü Zushan, Deputy Director of Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

                    3. 2016 JCP International Expert Advisory Committee Meeting

On June 17, 2016, four Members of the JCP International Expert Advisory Committee (IEAC), Prof. Xue, Dr. Luca Castellani, Dr. Yann Duval and Mr. Alamusi had a study tour at the headquarter of Alibaba Inc. in Hangzhou. The IEAC members listened the introduction on Alibaba’s international business and especially the One-Touch paperless trade system and expressed their willingness to engage the private sector, particularly the platform service providers like Alibaba, in the international law and trade facilitation activities. Both parties agreed that they would continue the corporation and develop new projects for collaboration.