Douglas Frantz published an Op-Ed in the Washington Post on January 30, 2018, four weeks before the 2nd Global Conference of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network that takes place on February 26-28, 2018 in Ottawa. The former Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) stresses the importance of a "transnational policy process to preserve the character of the Internet, harmonize laws and regulations and enable the continued expansion of digital economy in ways that are both innovative and inclusive".
Mr Frantz highlights the opportunity that the 2nd Global Conference of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network presents to stakeholders:
On Feb. 26, senior representatives from a wide range of governments, businesses and nongovernment groups will convene in Ottawa, to work on translating those commitments into policies and standards that will preserve the cross-border nature of the Internet, fight abuses and protect human rights.
Mr Frantz adds that "building on a similar conference in 2016 and the commitments of leading countries, the goal is to establish a road map for how to address the potential problems created by the Internet without losing the benefits of its open and interoperable nature and without crippling the global digital economy". He concludes by reminding stakeholders that " the question is not whether we should do something. The question is can we afford not to act".
