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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Thanks to everyone who participated – I have now forwarded
the text below to IGF for inclusion in the synthesis paper.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ian Peter</span></font></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><a name="OLE_LINK10"></a><a
name="OLE_LINK9"><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Review of the IGF<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Process of review <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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 will
also be necessary to go beyond IGF participants to reach out to other
interested stakeholders, who for different reasons may not attend the IGF
meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>In reaching out, the process of
consultations should especially keep in mind constituencies that have lesser
participation in IG issues at present, including constituencies in developing
counties 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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>If it is found necessary to do a
expert evaluation to help the process of review, the process should be open and
transparent. It is not advisable to rely solely on a pro bono evaluation, by
any agency that offers it, for such a politically sensitive and important
assessment.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>It is important that the process of
review starts at the earliest, preferably with the forthcoming IGF meeting in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:City></st1:place>. IGC held a
workshop on 'role and mandate of the IGF' at Rio (see </span></font><a
href="http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30"><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30</span></font></a><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> ), and
plans another one with the same title in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:City></st1:place>.
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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Substantive
comments on the IGF mandate, role and structure <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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, the more
appropriate it may be to bring it to the IGF where inputs from a diverse range
of stakeholders can be sought.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Tunis</st1:State></st1:place> agenda calls for "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. 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 IGF in this regard.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:City></st1:place>,
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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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