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<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Hi All</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Sorry for making this</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">email</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">high priority. It</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">contains</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">some</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> text for</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">possible</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">caucus</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">statement</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">on</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> improving the IGF format for</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">D</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">elhi</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">, which needs</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">some</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">urgent attention</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">from the</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">members, and I wanted it to</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">separate</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> it from the other interesting</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">discussions</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> taking place on the list.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">At this time we propose to make three</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">statement</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> - one on MAG renewal, some text of which is</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">already</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">being</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> discussed, another on our suggestions for improvements in format for</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">D</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">elhi, some text for which is</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">given</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">below, and a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">third</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> one with a few possible themes for the main sessions. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">For offering suggestion on format for Delhi, I have tried to stick to fewer things rather than give a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">long list.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">The main thing is to make th</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">e</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">plenaries</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> more purposive and attractive, and have a clear wor</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">kshops structure around it. And that its preparation should be more through and facilitated by dedicated working groups. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">I will add other things, like a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Times New Roman">re</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">l lunch break to the text in the next stage.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">(starts)</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">(Opening pleasantries are yet to be drafted…)</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">In providing suggestions for how New Delhi IGF should be organized, Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus understands that the IGF’s mandate and functions can be divided into two broad categories. One is of providing an open space for discussing any and all public policy issues regarding the Internet for all stakeholders, therefore, inter alia, encouraging a closer interactions between stakeholder and groups who ‘do not often ‘talk’ to each other’. The second set of mandates and functions can be clubbed in the category of providing some relatively clear directions and possibilities in the area of global public policy, and for this purpose plug the gaps in terms of ideas, possibilities, interactions etc in the global institutional framework in this area. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">The structure of the IGF meeting should be adequate to meet both these purposes. The first purpose listed above is largely being achieved, and IGF is now recognized for its characteristic of a town hall meeting where anyone can come and voice one’s opinion and concerns. However, the requirements for the purpose two listed above – that of some clear contribution to the global policy arena - may need us to explore some structural improvements for the next IGF meeting, without taking away its open town hall meeting character. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">Many participants at Athens and Rio felt that there were too many workshops going on at the same time, even overlapping with the plenaries, and the attendance at and the interest in plenaries was quite low. It was even more so in Rio than in Athens. This severely compromises the ‘convergent identity’ of the IGF, as one global forum with some discernable internal cohesion, apart from just being an open space encouraging diverse deliberation.</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">One reason for this low interest in the plenaries was that there were too many workshops being held at the same time as the plenaries. But equally, or perhaps more, important reason was that the themes of the plenaries were just too broad and participants really did not take much away from any of these sessions. Apart from being too general, and allowing each speaker to make her own interpretation of the issue, the non-specificity of the issue under discussion allowed people to often/ mostly speak on areas which were remote from any implication on global Internet related public policy, which is the chief purpose of the IGF to discuss. Such diversion or dilution is to some degree acceptable in case of workshops, in interest of diversity and openness, but not for the plenaries which represent very precious prime time for the IGF, and there is only that much of it in a whole year.</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">We should therefore seriously explore new possibilities that could put life back into the plenaries and allow the IGF to meet its outcome-oriented part of the mandate as well. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">First is the issue of the large number of workshops. We do understand that limiting the number of workshops too drastically will affect the diversity of the kinds of discussions that are held, and of the groups that are able to use the IGF space. Therefore we think that we should continue to allow as many workshops as the limits of available logistics allow, to encourage diversity and broader ownership and participation in the IGF. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">In order to address what, in this context of allowing the maximum number of workshops, appears to be a conflicting imperative of strengthening the plenaries, for the sake of an ‘convergent identity’ of the IGF (as opposed to the divergent identity built by multiple workshops) and improving its outcome-orientation, we may need to bring a two-pronged approach to organizing the IG. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">One approach is of allowing multiple diverse workshops, as is done at present, while keeping some general themes in mind, so as to not allow things to go too much out of IGF’s domain and priority areas. These workshops can be called type A workshops, and the current main themes of access, openness, diversity and security can serve as over-arching themes for organizing these workshops in clusters, so that each stream can stay separate, enabling people interested in any one theme to attend all or most of the workshops in that theme. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">For making the plenaries more productive, they should be organized around some specific global public policy issues, which are found to be of utmost importance, and not around hold-all themes like openness and access, discussions around which do not produce any fruitful outcomes. We suggest some such topics in a separate statement. A lot of preparatory work should go into preparing for these discussions, which should be done through working groups set up for these purpose. These working groups could consist of members of the MAG plus some other experts and stakeholders. These working groups must also synthesize the outcomes of these deliberations and present them as a document. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">Some workshops - called type B - should be arranged around the selected topics for the plenaries. There should be a limited number of them, with a vigorous effort to merge proposals for such workshops in a manner that preserves diversities of geo-politics, special interests and different viewpoint, but retains the clear purpose to increase the effectiveness of the plenary sessions. Selection of and preparation for these workshops should be done by the concerned working group along with the sponsors of the workshops. Type B workshops should not be held in parallel with the plenaries. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">This dual architecture of an open space for diverse workshops and a relatively tightly organized structure of plenaries on specific global public policy, well-organized through a working group, and also resulting in an outcome document (even if stating a variety of positions, and not a consensual or negotiated one position) will enable the IGF to fulfill its mandate in a much better way than it is able to do at present. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">We understand that such dual tiered workshop structure – one kind of workshops tied with plenary topics, and others independent - was proposed and tried in preparation for Rio, but apparently it did not quite work out in any purposeful manner. We can get it right this time around with better selection of specific topics for the plenaries, and more through preparations through dedicated working groups. </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us">(I wan to put some text of dynamic coalitions here…. Will prepare some and add. Inputs are welcome.)</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">(ends)</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Parminder</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN></P>
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