consumer protection, access, the digital divide, education, cultural diversity, and content policy. Possible gaps in dealing with multilingualism Apart from the considerable progress made in developing a multilingual Internet, the mechanism analysis indicates the insufficient existence of a structured approach to addressing the multilingual aspect in developing technical and web standards of relevance for the future Internet development. 8.4 Online education The Internet has opened new possibilities for education. Numerous e-learning, online learning, and distance learning initiatives have been introduced; their main aim is to use the Internet as a medium for the delivery of courses. Traditionally, education has been governed by national institutions. The accreditation of educational institutions, the recognition of qualifications, and quality assurance are all governed at national level. However, cross-border online education requires the development of new governance approaches. Many international initiatives aim at filling the governance gap, especially in areas such as quality assurance and the recognition of academic degrees. Status of governance mechanisms for online education As the main international organisation dealing with education, UNESCO has been also active in online education. At the WTO, in the context of the GATS process, there was a policy debate on whether education should be expected to form a global trade regulation as a government-provided service. The EU has developed a regulatory framework with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The Asia-Pacific region has introduced its own regional model for the exchange of students and a related credit system – the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) programme. Online education is most directly related to the following Internet policy issues: web standards, freedom of expression, data protection, intermediaries, content policy, and global public good. Possible gaps in dealing with online education The mechanisms analysed appear to indicate the existence of a knowledge gap in understanding how online learning will affect international aspects of educational policy (accreditation, standardisation, quality control). There are also insufficient international mechanisms for exchanging best practices and coordination among institutions dealing with policy aspects of online education. 44