This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Post-structuralism — most prominently associated with Jacques Derrida — to re-read the CAIGF 2024 Almaty conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Derridean deconstruction shakes from within the binary oppositions on which metaphysics depends. The "global/local" and "West/non-West" oppositions presupposed at CAIGF 2024 Almaty are subject to deconstruction.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of CAIGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Différance and the trace, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Deconstructing the global/local binary
The very name Kazakhstan carries within itself traces of alterity (migrants, diaspora, multilingualism). Derrida's late concept of "democracy to come" rereads the IGF process not as actually existing democracy but as the perpetually arriving.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Jacques Derrida-type problematic.
The regional IGF (CAIGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.
The democracy to come
Jacques Derrida's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2024 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI"
Discussion of "AI" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Derrida's Différance and the trace, as a central problematic. In Kazakhstan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "サイバーセキュリティ"
Discussion of "サイバーセキュリティ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Derrida's Différance and the trace, as a derivative problematic. In Kazakhstan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around サイバーセキュリティ are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "GDC"
Discussion of "GDC" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Derrida's Différance and the trace, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Kazakhstan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around GDC are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "地域協調"
Discussion of "地域協調" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Derrida's Différance and the trace, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Kazakhstan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 地域協調 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "越境データ"
Discussion of "越境データ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jacques Derrida's Différance and the trace, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Kazakhstan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 越境データ are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Jacques Derrida perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Kazakhstan.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Différance and the trace. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Jacques Derrida's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Post-structuralism and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Kazakhstan
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of CAIGF.
- CAIGF 2024 Almaty Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Jacques Derrida (representative texts of Post-structuralism)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年6月12日 20時17分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
