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<font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">>Rather
than predetermining the outcome of
the consultation, I think there will be a large emphasis on what the
process of
consultation should be, ( and a belief that the >process should
determine the
outcome rather that our thoughts at this stage). Please let me know if
you have
information that suggests otherwise.<br>
<br>
Ian<br>
<br>
The declared agenda of the consultations is to 'prepare the process',
however it is my experience that most active players do not make such a
fine distinction between the process and substantive view - and do
start contributing their substantive views. In any case, that is how
advocacy would work. Putting out our views, is not a thing to be done
just at one point of time. It is important to claim spaces early,
identify key possible allies, and key dangers, and then work
accordingly over the period towards IGF 2009, and subsequently in the
UN system. It was for this reason that we had pro-actively contributed
our views about how IGF should continue for the synthesis paper for IGF
2008 itself. <br>
<br>
While focusing on the main agenda of giving our views on the process,
we should, in my view, separately, also mention our substantive views,
as done in the earlier statement. But, yes, the 'process' discussion is
more important at this point. <br>
<br>
Parminder<br>
</span></font><br>
Ian Peter wrote:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Parminder,
while not disagreeing with the
substance of what you have suggested below, I think the question is not
so much
“getting views on the issue of extending the IGF’s mandate”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">The agenda
item is “preparing the
review process”.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">In the
questionnaire circulated by the Secretariat,
this is phrased as<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><b><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“The <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tunis</st1:place></st1:State>
Agenda calls on the UN Secretary-General “to examine the desirability
of
the continuation of the Forum, in consultation with Forum participants,
within
five years of its creation, and to make recommendations to the UN
membership in
the regard”. This consultation will have to take place at the Sharm El
Sheikh meeting. How should it be prepared?”<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Rather than
predetermining the outcome of
the consultation, I think there will be a large emphasis on what the
process of
consultation should be, ( and a belief that the process should
determine the
outcome rather that our thoughts at this stage). Please let me know if
you have
information that suggests otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">If that is
the case, we should concentrate
more on what the process should be. From our previous statement, we have<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“As mentioned in the TA, 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"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In reaching out, the process
of consultations should
especially keep in mind constituencies that have lesser participation
in IG
issues at present, not due to the fact that they are not impacted by IG
and
therefore may not have legitimate interest in it, but because of
various
structural issues. In this context, it is especially important to reach
out
more to constituencies in developing counties. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Since the IGF has had
‘development’ as a
central theme, 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"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is not therefore enough to
announce open
consultations, but tangible efforts to reach out to different
stakeholders and
constituencies should be made. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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 on a <i><span
style="font-style: italic;">pro
bono</span></i> evaluation, by any agency that offers it, for such a
politically sensitive and important assessment. In selecting ‘experts’
possible biases should be anticipated and accounted for. Due to the
primarily (global)
public policy mandate and role of the IGF, 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"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I suspect that the discussion
will move towards
clarifying an acceptable process, and other comments may be left aside
for
later consideration. In that case, are we happy with our comments from
last
September or is there something we should add?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoAutoSig"><font color="navy" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">Ian Peter<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoAutoSig"><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><font
color="navy" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">PO Box</span></font></st1:Street><font
color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"> 429</span></font></st1:address><font
color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoAutoSig"><font color="navy" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">Bangalow NSW 2479<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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w:st="on"><font color="navy" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">Australia</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoAutoSig"><font color="navy" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">Tel (+614) 1966
7772 or (+612) 6687 0773<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoAutoSig"><font color="navy" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.ianpeter.com">www.ianpeter.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><font color="navy" face="Courier New" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy;"> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; color: windowtext; font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font
color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; color: windowtext;">
Parminder [<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:parminder@itforchange.net">mailto:parminder@itforchange.net</a>] <br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> 17 January 2009
17:20<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [governance]
IGF
consultations - extending IGF's mandate</span></font><font color="black"><span
style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dear All<br>
<br>
The Feb open consultations of the IGF have a specific purpose of
getting views
on the issue of extending the IGF's mandate. This issue will be
considered by
CSTD (commission of science and technology) and later UN's ECOSOC in
2010. The
WSIS (world summit on the information society) mandated that the
decision on
the issue will be taken in 'consultation with IGF participants'. It is
the
first time that open consultations will be for 2 days, and the reason
for this
is that oneday will be exclusively devoted to considering this
particular
issue. <br>
<br>
Now, it is not entirely clear if 'IGF participants' are only those who
gather
for the annual IGF, or the open consultations also in some form
comprises of
IGF participants. In any case, the open consultations in Geneva are
supposed to
give MAG its directions, and since MAG takes all process decisions,
inputting
into the forthcoming consultations can have important bearing on the
process
that will be followed in terms of what may constitute 'consultations
with forum
participants' for deciding on continuation of the IGF. However, I am of
the
opinion that we should also put in our substantive comments on the
continuation
of the IGF right away. <br>
<br>
Just to kickstart the discussion, my view is that;<br>
<br>
(1) First of all we should clearly, and unambiguously, state that we
will that
IGF has a crucial and unparalleled role in the area of IG, specifically
global
public policy making in this area. For this reason, not only the IGF
should be
continued beyond 2010, but it should be suitably strengthened. <br>
<br>
(2) We should also assert that there are two clear, and relatively
distinct,
mandates of the IGF - first, regarding public policy functions, as a
forum for multistakeholder policy dialogue, and second, regarding
capacity
building. Both aspects of the IGF's role needs to be strengthened.
Especially,
one role (for instance, capacity building) should not be promoted to
the
exclusion of the other (policy related role). If the IGF is assessed
not to be
sufficiently contributing to its one or the other principal roles,
adequate
measures should be considered to improve its effectivenesses vis-a-vis
that
role. <br>
<br>
(3) The IGF should be assured stable and sufficient public funding to
be able
to carry its functions effectively, and impartially in global public
interest. <br>
<br>
Also is enclosed the contribution IGC made late last year to the
synthesis
paper on this subject.<br>
<br>
parminder <br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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