<html>
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
  </head>
  <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
    <p>The following is the initial political statement on the failure
      of the WGEC to come up with any recommendation which has been
      developed on the behalf of many civil society groups I work with.
      A more elaborate collectively developed statement will follow.</p>
    <p>STATEMENT BEGINS</p>
    <p> </p>
    <blockquote>
      <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal;
        letter-spacing: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;
        line-height: 100%"> <font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
            sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt" size="3">The UN
              CSTD Working Group On Enhanced Cooperation (on
              International public policies pertaining to the Internet)
              was tasked with developing institutional proposals towards
              appropriate global governance of the Internet, and the
              larger digital phenomenon. After five meeting over two
              years, it wound up yesterday, 31st January, without giving
              any recommendation. </font></font></font> </p>
      <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal;
        letter-spacing: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;
        line-height: 100%"> <font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
            sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt" size="3">We are
              extremely disappointed at this continued abdication by the
              governments and the UN system of what is one of the most
              important public policy and governance requirements today.
              It will astonish ordinary people on the streets to know
              that the governments of the world and the UN think that
              all is well with the global Internet and the global
              digital phenomenon, and with its social, economic,
              political, social and cultural effects. And, that people
              should just get on with it with no need for any globally
              democratic development of norms, principles, polices and
              laws in this all important area. As one delegate put it
              succinctly at the Working Group meeting, to the effect,
              that we are kidding ourselves if we think that
              international law does not need to – and would not
              eventually – come to the Internet. Well, we do not think
              it is kidding though. It is all bare knuckle adult stuff,
              of protecting very narrow commercial and political
              interests, and letting the global public interest sink in
              the bargain. </font></font></font> </p>
      <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal;
        letter-spacing: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;
        line-height: 100%"> <font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
            sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt" size="3">But let
              us beware, we would sink together if we do not develop
              means to float together. As the Internet/ digital becomes
              key of all our social structures, what provides us the
              means of collective floating (or non-sinking) are the
              appropriate and adequate global mechanisms for Internet’s
              governance in public interest. We seem to be just waiting
              for some catastrophic events to force us to begin doing
              what we must; which is never a sane course of action. We
              once again appeal to the leaders of the global community
              to abandon this dangerous and suicidal path of abdication.
              Let us contribute to building the required global
              political institutions for the fast emerging global
              digital society – which will ensure the rule of law, and
              people’s safety, happiness, prosperity, equity and social
              justice. </font></font></font> </p>
      <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal;
        letter-spacing: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;
        line-height: 100%"> <font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
            sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt" size="3">The
              Working Group gathered all views – including through
              public comments – on various institutional responses that
              may be appropriate to meet the needs of global governance
              of the Internet/ digital phenomenon. Some of these views,
              especially a common proposal by many members of the
              Working Group, present clear ways forward for setting up a
              new global institution for Internet’s governance. What is
              required now is political will, at the highest level, to
              take this proposal forward and implement it. This task is
              best suited for the UN General Assembly which should
              undertake a dedicated discussion on this subject, taking
              into account various institutional proposals that were
              submitted to and discussed by the Working Group. </font></font></font>
      </p>
      <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-variant: normal;
        letter-spacing: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;
        line-height: 100%"> <font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
            sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt" size="3">The G 77
              group of developing countries already made a written
              initial proposal for a new institutional mechanism in 2014
              during the preparatory process of the ten year review of
              the World Summit on the Information Society. In this
              statement it was agreed that the proposal will be further
              fleshed out in terms of specific details of such an
              institutional mechanism. The inputs to, and the
              deliberations of, the Working Group now provide enough
              material to undertake this task which should urgently be
              taken up by G 77, and other supporting countries, and a
              full proposal made in this regard to the UN General
              Assembly later this year. </font></font></font> </p>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
    for<br>
    IT for Change, and other civil society organisations <br>
    <br>
    ENDS<br>
    <br>
    Thanks, and best regards, parminder <br>
    <br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On Thursday 01 February 2018 08:38 PM,
      parminder wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:49468b0d-7405-8f4b-7dbe-4ce958538932@itforchange.net">
      <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
      <p>The UN General Assembly mandated Working Group on Enhanced
        Cooperation (on international Internet related public policies)
        which was tasked to develop institutional means for appropriate
        governance of the global Internet folded up yesterday after 4
        years of work ( 2 years each of two versions) without making any
        recommendation. I wrote the following email to the group that
        lays out how I see the group's work, especially its failure to
        come up with any recommendation...<br>
        <br>
        parminder </p>
      <div class="moz-forward-container"><br>
        -------- Forwarded Message --------
        <table class="moz-email-headers-table" cellspacing="0"
          cellpadding="0" border="0">
          <tbody>
            <tr>
              <th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap">Subject:
              </th>
              <td>thanks, goodbye, and a few reflections on WGEC</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap">Date:
              </th>
              <td>Thu, 1 Feb 2018 19:22:35 +0530</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap">From:
              </th>
              <td>parminder <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                  href="mailto:parminder.js@gmail.com"
                  moz-do-not-send="true"><parminder.js@gmail.com></a></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap">To: </th>
              <td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
                  href="mailto:CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org"
                  moz-do-not-send="true">CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org</a> <a
                  class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                  href="mailto:CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org"
                  moz-do-not-send="true"><CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org></a>,
                stdev <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
                  href="mailto:stdev@unctad.org" moz-do-not-send="true"><stdev@unctad.org></a></td>
            </tr>
          </tbody>
        </table>
        <br>
        <br>
        <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
          charset=utf-8">
        <p>
          <style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; }</style>
        </p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3">Dear All</font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3">As the two years of WGEC end (4 for me,
              continuing from the last WGEC), one departs with a lot of
              learning, growth and good memoires. Thank you all for
              being a part of it. I wish to say farewell to all, till we
              meet again!</font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3">On the work side: after a night’s sleep over it,
              this is what I feel about the WGEC’s work.</font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3">There were promising exciting moments in the last
              hours. If these could have come earlier it might just have
              been possible for us to have made some progress. But then,
              unfortunately, they did not. In the end, my summative
              assessment is as follows. It would have been nice to have
              had a report, but it is more truthful that there isnt one.
              That is the true reflection of the state of affairs. And
              while we have responsibilities to ourselves and to the
              group of nice-ness and collegiality, there is a much
              higher responsibility of telling the undiluted truth to
              the global public. </font></font> </p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3">And the truth is that on the matter of how public
              governance of the global Internet and the digital
              phenomenon should be undertaken in the UN, we today are
              even more apart then we were even at the WSIS. A good
              proof of it comes from examining what was the central
              piece of the excitement of the last hours yesterday (an
              excitement, I admit, I shared in the room at that time.).
              At Tunis, the global community could agree that (1) the
              current mechanisms of global public governance of the
              Internet were inadequate ( <span style="font-variant:
                normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">T</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">unis Agenda</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">, para 6</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">0), and (2) urgent
                        further work is needed that </span></span></span></font></span>“<span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">could envisage
                        creation of a suitable framework or mechanisms…”
                        ( para 61). Seventeen years after WSIS, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">when the</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> Internet/ digital
                        has transformed the world beyond what anyone
                        could </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">have</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> imagine</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">d</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> in Tunis, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">and there are </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">unthinkably </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">monumental
                        governance needs and challenges, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">a weak formulation </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">that we can continue
                        to consider “the possibility of new
                        [institutional approaches]” was offered as the
                        “big” (and the only) carrot. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">That too only in the
                        last few hours.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">And then is was
                        quickly withdrawn, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">seemingly</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> in exchange of
                        putting, in a portion of the report </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">that </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">mention</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">ed</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> “the </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">key</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> issues discussed”
                        (and of course non agreed ), a para or two each
                        of </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">two key divergent
                        positions on the need </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">for</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> new institutional
                        development. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">This would just have
                        been a factual statement of what actually got
                        presented and discussed, but not agreed.</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> While I myself
                        shared in the excited possibility of us getting
                        some agreement somehow, it is evident that this
                        was much less that what </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">the Tunis Agenda a</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">lready mentions. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">Although it </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">is admittedly</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> better that what
                        has eve</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">r</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> got into the texts
                        since then, which was why </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">some of us were</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> ready to take it,
                        until the offer got withdrawn. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">This is where the
                        negotiations collapsed, as time was in any case
                        not on our side. </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
        </p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">A “no report”
                        therefore conveys the fact of the matter more
                        truthfully to our constituents that a report
                        that, apologies the for dismissive tone, but,
                        honestly, largely said things to the effect that
                        “people in the world should be more honest </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">and friendly</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">”. Would </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">such a report</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> have </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">represented</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> progress? Not in my
                        view. It </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">w</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">ould more likely
                        have been a smoke screen of </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">seeming</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> progress on </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">subject, for some
                        unnecessary months or years, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">which would have
                        only</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> retard</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">ed</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> urgent
                        consideration of this most important global
                        public policy imperative, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">which</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> is required right
                        now</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">We are already late
                        in fact.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">So rather than rue
                        that we could not agree to some weak and largely
                        meaningless report </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">regarding</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> how global public
                        governance of the Internet (and </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">digital phenomenon)
                        should be done, let us be satisfied that we </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">put in</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> our best efforts </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">to converge</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">, and then honestly
                      </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">we </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">let the world know
                        that there does </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">not</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> yet exist </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">political will to
                        develop appropriate global mechanism</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">s</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> of public </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">governance of the
                        Internet. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">E</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">ven in tragedy, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">h</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">onestly serves
                        better that superfluous make-believes </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">that</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> could elevate </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">one’s</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> spirits
                        temporarily. </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">The</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> public interest is
                        served best by stating the actual fact, </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">and we did that by
                        the act of “no report”</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">. </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
        </p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">I </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">much </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">thank Amb Benedicto
                        for his exceptionally patient, inclusive and
                        capable handling of a very difficult discussion.
                        Special kudos for the secretariat for providing
                        high quality professional </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">help</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> that never slipped,
                      </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">which let</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> our work go </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">on so</span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> smoothly.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal"> </span></span></span></font></span><span
                style="font-variant: normal"><font color="#333333"><span
                    style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">And a warm thanks
                        and goodbye to all members.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">Best regards</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
        <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%"><font
            face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size: 12pt"
              size="3"><span style="font-variant: normal"><font
                  color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing: normal"><span
                      style="font-style: normal"><span
                        style="font-weight: normal">parminder </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
        </p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
  </body>
</html>