How to engage with internet standardisation and governance bodies? Practical guidance to the IETF / IRTF

Disclaimer: This publication was co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ECNL and Karolina Iwanska, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union

Executive summary

Internet standardisation and governance bodies develop policies and technical specifications, and provide spaces for exchange on crucial internet challenges and new solutions. This ranges from improving access, through protecting human rights defenders’ freedom of speech online, to preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Increasingly, these forums shape how people around the world can enjoy the internet.

As part of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE), ECNL developed four individual explainers, focusing on four technical standardisation and governance bodies that play a central role in the functioning of the internet: the Internet Governance Forum, ICANN, ITU, and the IETF.

The explainer focuses on the Internet Engineering Task Force / Internet Research Task Force (IETF), an important forum developing voluntary technical standards for the internet, which are widely adopted by network operators and internet users.

This guidance is intended for organisations considering engagement with the IETF and looking for a clear starting point. It explains how the IETF works, outlines formal and informal pathways for civil society participation, and provides practical guidance on how to engage, including eligibility considerations and available resources, without duplicating information already covered elsewhere.

Acknowledgements

Researched and written by: Karolina Iwanska, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL)

Edited by: Sushruta Kokkula, ECNL Virginia (Ginger) Paque, DiploFoundation

Layout and design: Sushruta Kokkula, ECNL

This publication was co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. This paper is available under the Creative Commons license: CC-BY 4.0 Attribution 4.0 International.