Content area
Abstract
The traditional concept of sovereignty goes back to the Westphalian Peace Treaty of 1648. The scope of this Westphalian notion of sovereignty has been limited by the Charter of the United Nations narrowing the traditional concept by prohibiting the use of force as former element of sovereignty and excluding some substantial areas from the "domaine reserve". The traditional concept of sovereignty encompassing a "right" to monopolize certain exercises of power and a "right" against interference or intervention by any foreign power does not any more fully fit into the globalized world of the Internet. As experience shows, the global pool of resources, which is essential for the functioning of the Internet, is largely managed by non-governmental actors. This fact raises the question who (what entity) should decide the power allocation. If sovereignty is developing to people, the emergence of a participatory process becomes vital.