T

he Internet and information and communications technology (ICT) have the potential to drive world development, global-economic growth as well as improve people'€™s lives '€” not just in developing countries but across the globe.

In an exclusive interview with The Jakarta Post prior to the opening of the eighth Internet Governance Forum (IGF) at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) on Tuesday afternoon, Thomas Gass, United Nations assistant secretary-general for policy coordination and inter-agency affairs and co-chair of the conference, said that the event focused on how the Internet facilitated communication.

'€œThe Internet must be used for the betterment of the people and the world. Gone are the days when the Internet was seen as a threat or a dangerous place. That'€™s not to say '€” of course '€” that it cannot be misused by irresponsible parties,'€ Gass commented.

The Internet has been used to facilitate transnational crimes such as human trafficking, terrorism and fraud. '€œTherefore, it is important to have rules, to agree to a set of cyber ethics,'€ Gass convinced.

The IGF gatherings, he said, were a proven, successful mechanism that partnered the UN with governments, private sectors, NGOs and the public.

'€œIGF is the place where the Internet community can discuss the healthy, meaningful and beneficial use of the Internet,'€ added Gass.

Around 1,500 participants from around the world convened in Nusa Dua to find ways to improve how people use the Internet, to narrow the wide digital divide and to promote the use of the Internet to enhance sustainable development. There are more than 150 workshops, presentations and other events scheduled across the five-day conference starting from Oct. 22 until Oct. 25.

Gass stressed the crucial role of cyberspace, in the context of the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in improving the lives of the most vulnerable, including those that lived in remote areas.

'€œThe deadline for the MDGs is fast approaching. We want to ensure we use this momentum to take us beyond 2015 with a development agenda that will reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.

'€œA lot of things must be done. We strongly believe that ICT will play a crucial role in making that happen.'€

Regarding the topic of unlawful surveillance, Gass urged everyone to work together to ensure that basic rights of privacy and freedom of expression were protected in cyberspace. He emphasized the need for a consensus on cyber ethics to be grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Gass also focused on the need for online safety and said the rights to freedom of expression could not infringe on other rights.

'€œDuring IGF, all stakeholders are expected to work toward the creation of a trusted set of tools that the international community can use for the good of humanity.'€