The role and mandate of the Internet Governance Forum were set out in general terms at the World Summit on the Information Society, particularly in paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda. However since the conclusion of the World Summit, various interpretations of this general statement of the IGF's role and mandate have been put forward and continue to be debated amongst its stakeholders. Some believe that there are elements of the IGF's mandate that have been overlooked or minimised in its operation to date. Others maintain, to the contrary, that the IGF must contain the overreaching ambitions of those who would transform it from a non-binding forum for discussion into something more.

Since IGF, Hyderabad, represents the midpoint in the initial 5 year term of the IGF after which the whole IGF process is sought to be reviewed. It will be pertinent at this midpoint to

• review how the IGF has fared till now vis-à-vis its TA mandate, and whether any structure and/or substance corrections are needed for the remaining part of its initial 5 year mandate; and
• consider what are the emerging views on post-2010 arrangements for the IGF, if one is at all needed.

For the complete proposal, click here