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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi All<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>While we are discussing ‘rights and the
Internet’ document, please also look at the proposed draft for the other input
on ‘review of the IGF’. Its current form on google docs is as follows. Parminder<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>IGC’s
input -2 to the synthesis paper for IGF, Hyderabad.</span></font></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta2><b id=z9ta3><font size=4 face="Times New Roman" id=zxbi><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-weight:bold'> Review of the IGF</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta10><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The
Tunis Agenda (TA) calls for examining “the desirability of the continuation of
the Forum in formal consultation with Forum participants, within five years of
its creation, and to make recommendations to the UN Membership..”. In this
regard, we have two sets of comments. One set is regarding the process of the
‘examining’ or review of the IGF, and another consists of our substantive
comments on the role, mandate and structure of the IGF.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta14><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <b><i><span
style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Process of review </span></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta20><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> As
mentioned in the Tunis Agenda, the process of review should be centered on
consultations with Forum (IGF) participants. These consultations should be both
formal and informal. It is important to lay out clear formal processes, apart
from informal ones. It may also be very useful to go beyond IGF participants to
reach out to other interested stakeholders, who for different reason may not
attend the IGF meetings. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta24><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> In
reaching out, the process of consultations should especially keep in mind
constituencies that have lesser participation in IG issues at present. In this
context, it is especially important to reach out more to constituencies in
developing counties. It is important to make special efforts to reach out to various
actors involved in development activity, including those of civil society.
Other groups with lower participation in IG issues like women, ethnic
minorities and disability groups should also be especially reached out to. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta32><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> If
it is found necessary to do a expert evaluation to help the process of review,
the process of selecting the ‘experts’ should be based on transparent
rationale, and follow an open and transparent process. It is not advisable to
rely solely on a <i id=z9ta39><span style='font-style:italic'>pro bono</span></i>
evaluation, by any agency that offers it, for such a politically sensitive and
important assessment. The selected experts should have adequate expertise in
matter of global public policy and policy institutions. In view of the
geo-political significance of IG, it may be useful to have a reputed public
policy institution in the global South do the evaluation in partnership with
one such institution from the North. Even if reliance on existing global
institutions is sought, there should be adequate balancing of perspectives, and
partnerships are a good way to ensure it. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta41><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> It
is important that the process of review starts at the earliest, preferably with
the forthcoming IGF meeting in Hyderabad. IGC held a workshop on ‘role and
mandate of the IGF’ at Rio (see <a
href="http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30" id=z9ta44>http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30</a>
), and plans another one with the same title in Hyderabad. The outcomes from
this workshop should feed into the main workshop on ‘Taking stock and going
forward’. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta49><b><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Substantive comments on the IGF
mandate, role and structure </span></font></i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta53><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> On
the basic question of the review about desirability of continuation of the IGF,
the Caucus is of the firm view that the IGF should continue beyond its first
mandated period of five years. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta57><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
understand that the mandate of the Tunis Agenda is ambitious and complex, and a
process of evolution towards its fulfillment may be needed. However, it is
important to keep an eye on the full mandate as we go forward, and continuously
make progress in achieving in its letter and intent. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta61><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> It
is important that IGF remains open to addressing all issues that are in the IG
space, no matter how controversial. Very likely, the more controversial an
issue, more appropriate it may be to bring it to the IGF where inputs from a
diverse range of stakeholders can be sought. Deliberations at the IGF can be
used as inputs for global Internet policy making, which will help make
policy-making processes more participative and democratic. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta65><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The
Tunis agenda calls for <b id=z9ta68><span style='font-weight:bold'>“</span></b>development
of multi-stakeholder processes at the national, regional…. level” similar to
the IGF. It is heartening to note that some such national and regional
processes are already taking shape<a name="_ftnref1" id=z9ta69></a><a
href="http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dg8948rv_0fwg6ndg2&justBody=false&revision=_latest×tamp=1220780751893&editMode=true&strip=true#_ftn1"
title=""><span id=z9ta72><span class=MsoFootnoteReference><span id=z9ta73><font
color=black face="Times New Roman" id=zxbi1><span style='color:windowtext;
text-decoration:none'><span id=z9ta70>[1]</span></span></font></span></span></span></a>.
IGF should further encourage such processes and seek to establish formal
relationships with these initiatives. Since the fear of governmental domination
is considerably higher at national levels, IGF should use global civil society
groups and processes to guide appropriate multistakeholderisation of emerging
national IGF spaces. IGC offers its assistance to the IGC in this regard.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta75><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> A
greater need for the IGF to get deeper in substantive issues is evident to
some. It is desirable in this regard for the IGF to have an inter-sessional
work program in addition planning for the annual IGF event. It will be useful
for this purpose for the MAG to operate in Working Groups, and also
incorporating outside expertise in these WGs as required. Some start in this
direction is expected to be made in the run-up to IGF, Hyderabad, whereby WGs
of MAG members plus some outsiders are expected to prepare for main sessions. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta79><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
As a global policy related institution it is important for the IGF to have
stable public funding, and to insulate itself against any possibility of
special interests influencing its working through control over funding. Such
funding should not only enable appropriate and streamlined functioning of the
IGF secretariat, the annual event and other proposed and inter-sessional
activities, it should also be used to ensure equity in participation in the IGF
across geographies and social groups. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta84><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> We
congratulate the IGF secretariat on doing exemplary work in the last few years,
on a very thin resource base, and in difficult conditions where different
stakeholder groups involved in the IGF have very different orientations and
expectations of the secretariat. A lot of the IGF secretariat’s work is
indeed path-breaking in the UN system. However, it is very evident that the
secretariat needs much better resource support that they have at present, if we
are to fulfill all our expectations from this unique global institution.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'
id=z9ta89><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br clear=all id=z9ta92>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=1 width="33%" align=left id=z9ta93>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoFootnoteText id=z9ta94><a name="_ftn1" id=z9ta95></a><a
href="http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dg8948rv_0fwg6ndg2&justBody=false&revision=_latest×tamp=1220780751893&editMode=true&strip=true#_ftnref1"
title=""><span id=z9ta98><span class=MsoFootnoteReference><span id=z9ta99><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman" id=zxbi2><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><span id=z9ta96>[1]</span></span></font></span></span></span></a>
To mention some of them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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