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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Since this letter appears to be presented as being on behalf of “CS” (as a whole) I believe that the Community Informatics community would be interested in helping to “develop… a joint letter to the co-facilitators”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I would also draw your attention to my detailed comments to what appears to have been an earlier version of the “Initialanalysis” document which does not seem to have been taken notice of in the updated version. Nor, I should add, have I/we been invited to comment on any of the updated versions of the analysis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>M<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bestbits-request@lists.bestbits.net [mailto:bestbits-request@lists.bestbits.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Deborah Brown<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 28, 2014 9:23 PM<br><b>To:</b> <bestbits@lists.bestbits.net><br><b>Subject:</b> [bestbits] Request for input: draft text calling for CS input into negotiations on WSIS+10 modalities<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear all, <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>As you may be aware, negotiations over the modalities for the overall WSIS review are resuming at the UN General Assembly in NY. After failing to reach an agreement by their deadline in December, the General Assembly decided to appoint two co-facilitators to convene open intergovernmental consultations to finalize the modalities for the overall WSIS review (A /C.2/68/L.73-attached). It was recently announced that the co-facilitators are <b>Finland</b> and <b>Tunisia</b>. UNGA has until the end of March to adopt a new resolution finalizing the modalities for the WSIS review. <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>As you might remember, there was an earlier draft of the resolution introduced by the G77 (A/C.2/68/L.40- attached), which called for the formation of an inter-governmental preparatory committee to set the agenda, finalize the outcome documents, and decide on modalities of participation of other stakeholders (OP22) for a 10-year review summit (OP21). This proved to be too controversial which is in a large part why it was decided to continue the negotiating. (See Sam Dickinson's post for more info: <a href="http://linguasynaptica.com/unga-68-ict4d-resolution/" target="_blank">http://linguasynaptica.com/unga-68-ict4d-resolution/</a>)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Given the approach that the draft resolution initially took, I am writing to see if there is interest developing a joint letter to the co-facilitators to communicate a desire by members of civil society to engage in the overall review process and establish concrete mechanisms for contributions. My sense is that if there is an opportunity to do so it is now, while governments are negotiating the modalities. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I drafted some points that could serve as the basis for a joint letter (see below) with input from a few people who have been following the WSIS review process, including the small group (Matthew, Lea, Joana, and myself) that worked on some initial analysis of the early draft of the ICT4D resolution (attached). <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The goal of this letter is to demonstrate an interest and willingness of CS to engage in the WSIS review process now, and have the opportunity to help shape the outcome from the beginning. <u> We're very interested in your thoughts on this draft and would welcome feedback, suggested edits, etc. by the end of your day Monday, 3 February</u>. If there's support, it would be great to post the final letter on the Best Bits website for endorsement next week.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Here's the draft text: <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Your Excellencies,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We are writing as members of civil society deeply engaged in Internet governance and ICT for development issues. Some/many of us have been engaged in this field since the inception of WSIS. At the outset, we would like to congratulate you on your appointment as co-facilitators of the General Assembly’s open intergovernmental consultations to finalize the modalities for the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We feel strongly that all stages of the overall WSIS review process should be open to all interested stakeholders, and as members of global civil society would welcome the opportunity to input into these informal consultations . </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The modalities for the overall review must embody the spirit of WSIS and the progress that has been made since 2005, as exemplified in the various multi-stakeholder processes such as the Multistakeholder Preparatory Platform for the WSIS High Level Event and the UNESCO WSIS+10 Review Event, but also the Internet Governance Forum, the Working Group on Internet Governance, the Working Group on IGF improvements, and the Working Group on Enhanced Cooperation. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We envision an overall WSIS review that renews and revives commitment to the Geneva principles’ vision of a “people-centred, inclusive, development-oriented and non-discriminatory Information Society”, is rooted in the international human rights framework, and builds on the achievements and addresses the challenges experienced in the 10 years since WSIS. Additionally, we believe that the overall WSIS review should seek to find synergies and <span style='color:black'>synchronicities </span>with the post-2015 development agenda, and in this context we would encourage the development of more concrete, measurable targets relating to ICTs and development. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To conclude, we consider it critical that the modalities of the overall WSIS review take into account the viewpoints of all stakeholders and establish concrete mechanisms for civil society to channel its contributions, including through remote participation. Therefore, we, as members of global civil society, are keen to input into the informal consultations that you are facilitating and look forward to engaging more formally in the preparatory process to the overall review. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sincerely, </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>xx</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>Kind regards, </span><span style='color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>Deborah <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#888888'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'>Deborah Brown</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'>Senior Policy Analyst</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'>Access | <a href="http://accessnow.org" target="_blank">accessnow.org</a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'><a href="http://rightscon.org" target="_blank">rightscon.org</a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'>@deblebrown</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#888888'>PGP 0x5EB4727D</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#888888'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>