<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
Here's another consolidated draft, with all the generally-agreed
changes suggested so far. As suggested, we'll also have a tweaked
version of this with a catchy headline as a press release, and for
translating into French.<br>
<br>
--- begins ---<br>
<br>
Basic courtesy stuff.....<br>
<br>
We understand that the French Presidency of the G8 proposes to hold
a G8 Internet meeting, immediately prior to the G8 Summit in
........, with a view to prepare or influence the agenda for the G8
Summit regarding key global Internet issues. We also understand that
many heads of states of G 8 countries are expected to attend this
meeting. The meeting is especially important since in the past G 8
has set up the global agenda on many key issues, especially in the
information society arena.<br>
<br>
We are very concerned about the manner in which the G 8 Internet
meeting is being organised which is ignoring current best practice
in public policy making. It also jettisons the principle of
multistakeholder participation that has evolved globally, especially
in the area of Internet governance. It appears that the G8 meeting
is organized by large Industry with access given only to industry
and government actors. We have also understood that there is a
linkage between donations and invitations.<br>
<br>
Big businesses already have a disproportionately large influence on
public policy processes. For governments to sanction a dedicated
meeting with top G8 leaders and officials to plan the global agenda
for Internet related policies is inappropriate. What is required is
a discussion that includes civil society actors, who will bring to
the table the concerns of global public interest 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 global phenomenon, policies framed together by the
most powerful nations, quite likely, will become the default global
norm. This is most true for architectural and economic issues, while
the global impact on other areas will also be substantial. It is
therefore appropriate that G 8 countries engage with the same, and
other issues, of Internet policies at the more democratic global
forums where all countries are present at an equal footing. In this
connection, there is the World Summit on the Information Society
mandated set of processes for dealing with pressing global Internet
related issues. Multistakeholder participation is an important part
of these global IG related processes. We see the proposed G 8
Interent meeting a significant step backwards both for global
democracy and for multistakeholder participation.<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.<br>
<br>
We therefore request you, and other G 8 leaders, to make the
proposed G 8 Internet meeting genuinely multistakeholder, following
the model of the UN IGF. We are impressed with the solid support
provided by the G 8 countries for upholding a multistakeholder model
for the IGF. The strong support that many G8 countries, including
your own, have shown for full multistakeholder participation makes
this current decision to limit discussion to vested interests of
governments' industry partners is baffling and is unacceptable to
many of the users of the Internet.<br>
<br>
closing and salutations..... <br>
<br>
--- ends ---<br>
<br>
I'd like to go to a consensus call on this 48 hours from now if
possible.<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="color: black;">Dr
Jeremy Malcolm<br>
Project Coordinator</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;
color: black;"> <br>
</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">Consumers
International</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: gray;">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><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><b><span style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);">Empowering Tomorrow’s
Consumers<br>
CI World Congress, 3-6 May 2011, Hong Kong</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">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!</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: navy;"><br>
<u><a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/congress">http://www.consumersinternational.org/congress</a></u></span><span
style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(153, 51, 102);"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Read
our <a
href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/email-confidentiality"
target="_blank">
<span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">email
confidentiality notice</span></a>. Don't print this email
unless necessary.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>