This speech by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the second Internet Governance Forum (IGF, Rio de Janeiro, 12 November 2007), recounts how the UNECE Aarhus Convention has shown impressively the effects that public participation can have on policy processes in the environmental field. Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio asks, "Shouldn't national Governments enable the average Internet user to be informed about issues of Internet Governance?" and advocates for Internet governance processes to satisfy democratic needs. In a truly people-centred Internet, the part to be played by users should be recognised and strengthened and the Internet be deployed to help increase public participation and engagement. The Best Practice Forum was co-organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Council of Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
