<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">As per the latest comments received, here is a slightly rewritten combination of Parminder's new text with a couple of points from my original draft. So that we can move forward towards a consensus call next week, please try to confine your comments to either significant points of substance, or grammatical/typographical corrections, rather than just rewriting the same ideas in a different form.<div><br></div><div>AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE CAUCUS TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON<br><br>Dear Sir,</div><div><br></div><div>The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) supports the views expressed by several government delegates at the recent open consultations on the IGF that the UN Secretary-General's report and recommendations on the desirability of the continuation of the Forum, based on formal consultations at IGF Sharm, should be presented to the CSTD's annual session in May 2010 before being considered by the ECOSOC and then by the UN Assembly.</div><div><br></div><div>Indications given at the meeting that this might not be the case have caused some confusion, since this would mark a departure from established practice. The CSTD is formally mandated to engage with all issues of WSIS follow up, and its specialized knowledge and history of engagement with WSIS issues, including the IGF, will provide the best basis for an informed consideration of the issue by the ECOSOC and the UN Assembly.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, consideration of the recommendations by the CSTD will enable widest possible discussion and engagement of concerned actors, including governments, with this very important issue. The CSTD provides relatively greater multistakeholder involvement than its parent body, ECOSOC, following its "strengthening ... taking into account the multistakeholder approach" (Tunis Agenda, para 105) pursuant to ECOSOC decisions 2007/215, 2007/216, 2008/217 and 2008/218.</div><div><br></div><div>It is also very relevant to note here that UN Secretary General's report on "enhanced cooperation" which was presented to the ECOSOC has been referred by the ECOSOC to the CSTD for its prior consideration, which does make it clear that ECOSOC would normally prefer CSTD's views on issues of WSIS follow up before it considers them. There is no reason why the same should not apply to the Secretary-General's report on the IGF. </div><div><br></div><div>We therefore request that in the interest of an open and transparent process, the UN Secretary-General's report on continuation of the IGF be made available to the CSTD's annual session in May 2010, which will help the UN membership make an informed and considered decision on this matter as per the requirements of the Tunis Agenda.</div><div><div>
<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><p align=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "></span></p><div>-- </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; ">Jeremy Malcolm<br>Project Coordinator</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black; "><br></span></font><font color="gray" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: gray; ">Consumers International<br>Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East<br>Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br>Tel: +60 3 7726 1599</span></font></p><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font color="#cc9900" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(204, 153, 0); font-weight: bold; ">CI is 50</span></font></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font color="#993366" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 102); ">Consumers International marks 50 years of the global consumer movement in 2010.</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font color="#993366" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 102); ">Celebrate with us as we continue to support, promote and protect consumer rights around the world. <br><u><a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/50" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; "><font color="#993366"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 102); ">http://www.consumersinternational.org/50</span></font></a></u><br></span></font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; "><br></span></font><font color="#999999" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); ">Read our <a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=100521&int1stParentNodeID=89765" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; "><font color="#999999"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); ">email confidentiality notice</span></font></a>. Don't print this email unless necessary.</span></font></div></span></div><p></p></div></span></div></span></div></span></div>
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