全球網路治理中的知識與權力

The Debate on Internet Governance in the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS): Perspectives of Knowledge and Power

本文的主要宗旨，是以2003年12月於日內瓦舉行的世界資訊社會高峰會上，就網路治理議題的辯論為焦點，試圖從國際關係的理論出發，探討對於網路活動的管理與控制，國際社會如何達成共識實現合作。在網路治理的議題上，我們看到以中國和巴西為首的開發中國家堅持網際網路的管理，必須透過政府間的程序進行；而且，網路治理所涉及的公共政策應該盡可能廣泛，從智慧財產權和開放原始碼、言論自由、隱私權、網路接取的定價問題、垃圾郵件和網路安全等問題。相反的，以美國為首的工業先進國家則認為網際網路的管理，仍應該託付私部門處理，網路治理所涉及的公共政策議題，也應該限於技術協調的範圍。高峰會最後通過原則宣言及行動方案，成立特別工作小組，計劃在第二階段的高峰會決定是否將網路治理轉歸聯合國體系。本文認為，對於網路治理辯論的解釋，知識決定論和權力決定論的觀點各自有其價值；一方面，知識決定論關切知識社群對於各國凝聚共識的貢獻，而網路知識社群的地域侷限性，正和各國在網路治理議題上陷入僵持相呼應；另一方面，權力決定論強調強權協議對於國際體制的關鍵地位，而中國大陸和巴西等開發中國家對於西方國家在網路市場上的挑戰，也說明了網路治理面臨重新調整的必然性。然而，將資訊社會高峰會放在網路治理的歷史演進脈絡下理解，本文提出技術知識和管理知識的區分，認為高峰會上對於網路治理的歧見和決定，呈現的正是工業先進國家對技術知識結構的持續掌控，和開發中國家對於管理知識結構的逐步介入，兩者之間的矛盾和交互作用。

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how members of international society reach consensus and conduct on management and control of Internet activities. With the emergence of information society, the last thirty years of the 20th century has witnessed the huge impact of the rapidly improving technology on our society. Among them the most astonishing and shocking is the global deployment of Internet, the potential of which to transform the society challenges all nations, developed or developing. As a result, almost every country makes commitment to construct information infrastructure that is considered as empowering its populace. On the other hand, nations are aware of the potential danger that free exchange of information on the web brings about and therefore look for ways to regulate the net. The debate around the issue of Internet governance on the first phase of World Summit on Information Society of December 2003 in Geneva reflects the conflicting views held by the participating nations.The debate on Internet governance can be simply put into two positions from the standpoint of JR theory, with one being close to knowledge-based analysis and the other to power-based analysis. For the former, the complexity of technologies gives technical experts a hand in influencing foreign policies on technical issues. Through common understanding on the subject matter among technical experts of different nations, members of the international community can reach consensus on governance of technical issues. For the latter, the revolution that information technology brings forward has a lot to do with its recognition of individual freedom. We can hardly understand the global expansion of information society without attending to the social and political requirement of pioneering nations. In terms of Internet governance, we find evidence in support of both positions. On the one hand, technical experts are more than active facilitating global governance of Internet. On the other hand, nations at different level of socio-economic development compete head to head in determining the locus of Internet governance. In accommodating the two perspective, this paper will trace the forces and the process of global negotiation on Internet governance in the context of the World Summit on Information Society.