<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Re: AW: [governance] Internet G8 meeting</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>My only problem with the text is that it tells them what we think they should do without telling them why it would be advantageous to do it another way. So its not likely to draw a great deal of attention.<BR>
<BR>
To this end I would add another paragraph – perhaps after the “it is also pertinent” paragraph, along the lines of<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The issues we face with internet governance and internet developments are global in nature, and adequate solutions to the problems we face will need to involve all countries, as well as a wide range of business, civil society and technical interests. All of these inputs are essential to any sensible and effective developments in this area, and we urge a more holistic involvement of this wide range of key players. Only in this way will we be able to develop adequate solutions.<BR>
<BR>
Ian Peter<BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"><B>From: </B>Jeremy Malcolm <<a href="jeremy@ciroap.org">jeremy@ciroap.org</a>><BR>
<B>Organization: </B>Consumers International<BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B><<a href="governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a>>, Jeremy Malcolm <<a href="jeremy@ciroap.org">jeremy@ciroap.org</a>><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Mon, 09 May 2011 12:29:14 +0800<BR>
<B>To: </B><<a href="governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a>>, Avri <<a href="avri@acm.org">avri@acm.org</a>><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Re: AW: [governance] Internet G8 meeting<BR>
<BR>
Thanks Parminder and Avri. Here's a consolidated draft with Avri's edits.<BR>
<BR>
Basic courtesy stuff.....<BR>
<BR>
We understand that the French Presidency of the G8 proposes to hold a G8<BR>
Internet meeting, immediately prior to the G8 Summit in ........,with a view<BR>
to prepare or influence the agenda for the G8 Summit regarding key global<BR>
Internet issues. We also understand that many heads of states of G 8<BR>
countries are expected to attend this meeting. The meeting is especially<BR>
important since in the past G 8 has set up the global agenda on many key<BR>
issues, especially in the information society arena.<BR>
<BR>
We are very concerned about the manner in which the G 8 Internet meeting is<BR>
being organised which is ignoring current best practice in public policy making.<BR>
It also jettisons the principle of multistakeholder participation that has evolved<BR>
globally, especially in the area of Internet governance. It appears that the G8<BR>
meeting is organized by large Industry with access given only to industry and<BR>
government actors. We have also understood that there is a linkage between<BR>
donations and invitations.<BR>
<BR>
Big businesses already have a disproportionately large influence on<BR>
government bureaucracies. For governments to sanction a dedicated meeting<BR>
with top G8 leaders and officials to plan the global agenda for Internet related<BR>
policies is inappropriate. What is required is a discussion that includes civil<BR>
society actors, who will bring to the table the concerns of global public interest<BR>
derived from a diversity of people's, of many sections of society, interests and<BR>
concerns.<BR>
<BR>
It is also pertinent to state here that since the Internet is essentially a<BR>
global phenomenon, policies framed together by the most powerful nations,<BR>
quite likely, will become the default global norm. This is most true for<BR>
architectural and economic issues, while the global impact on other areas<BR>
will also be substantial. It is therefore appropriate that G 8 countries<BR>
engage with the same, and other issues, of Internet policies at the more<BR>
democratic global forums where all countries are present at an equal<BR>
footing. In this connection, there is the World Summit on the Information<BR>
Society mandated set of processes for dealing with pressing global Internet<BR>
related issues. Multistakeholder participation is an important part of these global<BR>
IG related processes. We see the proposed G 8 Interent meeting a significant<BR>
step backwards both for global democracy and for multistakeholder<BR>
participation.<BR>
<BR>
We therefore request you, and other G 8 leaders, to make the proposed G 8<BR>
Internet meeting genuinely multistakeholder, following the model of the UN<BR>
IGF. We are impressed with the solid support provided by the G 8 countries<BR>
for upholding a multistakeholder model for the IGF. The strong support that<BR>
many of G8 countries, including your own, have shown for full multistakeholder<BR>
participation makes this current decision to limit discussion to vested interests<BR>
of governments' industry partners is baffling and is unacceptable to many of<BR>
the users of the Internet.<BR>
<BR>
closing and salutations..... <BR>
-- <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<B>Dr Jeremy Malcolm<BR>
Project Coordinator</B></SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="1"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:9pt'>Consumers International<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#808080">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<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <BR>
<BR>
<B>Empowering Tomorrow’s Consumers<BR>
CI World Congress, 3-6 May 2011, Hong Kong<BR>
</B> <BR>
<BR>
</SPAN><FONT SIZE="1"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:9pt'>Businesses, governments and civil society are invited to join consumer groups from around the world for four days of debate and discussion on the issues that matter most to consumers. Register now!<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000080"> <U><a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/congress">http://www.consumersinternational.org/congress</a><BR>
</U></FONT> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'> </SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="1"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:8pt'>Read our email confidentiality notice <<a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/email-confidentiality">http://www.consumersinternational.org/email-confidentiality</a>> . Don't print this email unless necessary.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT>
</BODY>
</HTML>