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<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:normal'>One of the major topics for the February 23-24
consultations in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City>
is the Review of IGF, and if possible we should make a statement on this.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:normal'>Below is our earlier statement on this subject which we should
review and improve if possible. I think we should bear in mind that the
consultation will be more interested in the process of the review – our earlier
statement addressed both the process and what we believe should be the outcome.
I think we should concentrate now on how the review should proceed rather than
what its findings should be.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:normal'>Any comments on the text below? We should try to arrive at
a common position if possible by mid February.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Our
earlier statement – </span></font></b></strong><b><span style='font-weight:
bold'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><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><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Process
of review</span></font></b></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><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 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><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,
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><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 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><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>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><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 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:City>.
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"
title="http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30">http://intgovforum.org/Rio_event_report.php?mem=30</a>
), and plans another one with the same title in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:City>. 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><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Substantive
comments on the IGF mandate, role and structure</span></font></b></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p><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><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, 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><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>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><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tunis</st1:place></st1:State> 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><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, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:City>,
whereby WGs of MAG members plus some outsiders are expected to prepare for main
sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><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><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><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><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>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Ian Peter<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>PO Box</span></font></st1:Street> 429</st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Bangalow NSW 2479<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Australia</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Tel (+614) 1966 7772 or (+612) 6687 0773<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>www.ianpeter.com<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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