<div dir="ltr"><div><div>Dear people, <br><br></div>As you may know,<span class=""> the ITU Council has rejected proposals to open participation 
in the Council Working Group on International Internet-Related Public 
Policy Issues (CWG-Internet).</span><br><br></div><div>That happened in disregard of our <a href="http://bestbits.net/cwg-internet/">previous request<span id="goog_1168730486"></span><span id="goog_1168730487"></span></a>, <span class="">of contributions from some Member States </span><span class=""><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline" id="docs-internal-guid-28134037-7303-93d6-5ddb-e1d2d4ed8964"></span><a href="http://files.wcitleaks.org/public/S13-CL-C-0084!!MSW-E.pdf" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline"> </span></a><a href="http://files.wcitleaks.org/public/S13-CL-C-0069!!MSW-E.pdf" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline"></span></a></span><span class=""> </span>and of a statement from the Secretary General at the closing session of WTPF, where we called for adopting an IEG model of participation within other meetings of the organization.<br>

<br></div><div>The CWG-Internet is a particularly relevant WG, as the Brazilian proposal on the role of States shall be discussed. Also a very important topic in a context where "Snowden conjecture" seams to be causing reactions for a State centric internet governance (at least that's my perception). <br>

<br>Therefore, Deborah, Matthew, Gene, Carolina and I have drafted a response to submit to ITU. Please, find it bellow, just like the link for the editable pad: <br><br><a href="https://pad.riseup.net/p/CWG-Internet">https://pad.riseup.net/p/CWG-Internet</a><br>

<br></div><div>Your comments are more then welcome. <b>The plan is to leave it open until next Monday, 19th.</b> Hope you find it useful.   <br><br>All the best<br><br></div><div>Joana <br><br><br>-- <br><br>Joana Varon Ferraz<br>

@joana_varon<br></div><div><br>----<br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center" id="docs-internal-guid-28134037-7302-4905-c9fc-0c4382ce306b"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">DRAFT Statement on Rejection of Proposal to Open CWG- Internet</span></p>

<br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">We, the undersigned members of civil society, regret that at its June 2013 session, the ITU Council rejected proposals to open participation in the Council Working Group on International Internet-Related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet) to other stakeholders, including civil society.</span></p>

<br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Members of civil society submitted a </span><a href="http://bestbits.net/cwg-internet/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">proposal</span></a><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">, endorsed by 41 organizations and individuals from all geographic regions, that would have made possible civil society participation in CWG-Internet based on an improved Informal Experts Group (IEG) model, which enabled non-ITU members to contribute to WTPF-13</span></p>

<br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">At a minimum, it was expected that the ITU Council would embrace the IEG model, which, though imperfect, introduced a degree of multistakeholder participation in the ITU’s work, and as such was recognized by participants in the WTPF as improving the quality of the meeting’s outcome. Indeed Secretary-General Touré called for adopting an IEG model of participation in CWG-Internet’s work as did the contributions from</span><a href="http://files.wcitleaks.org/public/S13-CL-C-0084!!MSW-E.pdf" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline"> Poland</span></a><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> and the </span><a href="http://files.wcitleaks.org/public/S13-CL-C-0069!!MSW-E.pdf" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">United States</span></a><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">. The ITU Council’s rejection of these calls for greater openness marks a significant and disappointing step backward.  </span></p>

<br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">The aforementioned proposal outlined reasonable and achievable steps to </span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">improve</span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> multistakeholder participation at CWG-Internet, based on the IEG model. Specifically, it recommended:</span></p>

<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Outlining clear procedures for inviting stakeholders to Council Working Groups, at least 90 days prior to the relevant meeting dates.</span></p>

</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Issuing clear procedures for all stakeholders to submit official documents for consideration.</span></p>

</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Establishing mechanisms for remote participation, allowing not only remote participants to follow the debate, but also to request the floor.</span></p>

</li></ul><br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> We viewed the relative success of the IEG model as a signal that the ITU was committed to the multistakeholder framework of internet governance as established by the Tunis Agenda.  We view its rejection of this model for CWG-Internet as a sign that it is not.  While the Secretary-General has indicated that he </span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">will “carry out or facilitate informal consultations with stakeholders...and [to bring] the essence of these discussions to the Council Working Group on this issue for information” any such informal consultations should not be equated with multistakeholder participation.    </span></p>

<br><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">We also take this opportunity to renew our call for the ITU to continue to coordinate its with that of relevant </span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">multistakeholder</span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> Internet governance bodies, taking advantage of those bodies’ expertise and not attempting to duplicate their functions. These bodies include those devoted to technical issues (such as ICANN, the IETF and the RIRs) and those dealing primarily with non-technical issues (such as the Internet Governance Forum).</span></p>

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