The US government has urged an upcoming forum on Internet governance “to avoid excessive deliberation on issues known to divide participants”, especially the reach or limitations of state sovereignty in Internet policy.

The forum, the Global Multi-stakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance (‘Netmundial’), takes place in Brazil in late February 2014.

According to the US government’s submission, existing multistakeholder institutions deserve significant credit for the Internet’s global growth and dynamism and should remain the cornerstones of the Internet governance ecosystem. Governments should ensure that “the proper incentives and environment are in place domestically so that a single, interoperable Internet can flourish globally, enabling freedom of expression and economic prosperity”.