<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Parminder</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Thanks for this. As usual, there was minimal press reporting. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">I don't have the details of the "civil society" position on this. My point of view I believe well-informed but please speak up if you think I have it wrong.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Parminder and others, I'd welcome hearing about anything from Civil Society that differs from the U.S. position of preventing the ITU or any group with a strong government component from doing anything of substance. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">(The euphemism is "only high order principles.) I'm sure folks like Vint Cerf support "multistakeholder" and "consensus" for honorable fear of governments. Knowing Parminder's work, I expect he's in that camp, also for honorable reasons. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The key governments with that point of view are playing realpolitik, wanting to make sure that nothing hinders what the U.S. is doing around the world. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">For those new to this discussion, "enhanced cooperation" was put into the WSIS as a concession to governments who thought they should have an active role. It deferred the discussion so a consensus document could be put out.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Since then, the U.S. and allies have fought hard to block anything of the sort. It's part of the U.S. effort to keep China and Russia far away from any Internet issues, especially security. (I'm on a State Department Committee and have senior sources.) Please note: I'm saying this about the <u>government</u> position. I am not implying that the Parminder of NGOs have similar motivation.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The U.S. "walked out" of the WCIT over this and in 2017 continued to block anything substantive at the ITU. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Demanding "multistakeholder consensus" sounds noble but means that any major government has a de facto veto over any action. The U.S. has used this to block efforts to ensure reasonable royalties, reduce cartel-like pricing for backhaul/transit, and expect the multinationals to pay taxes. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Which I'm told are the most important <u>international</u> issues keeping the cost of access high.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Dave </div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 9:48 AM, parminder <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:parminder.js@gmail.com" target="_blank">parminder.js@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
The UN General Assembly mandated Working Group on Enhanced
Cooperation (on international Internet related public policies)
which was tasked to develop institutional means for appropriate
governance of the global Internet folded up yesterday after 4 years
of work ( 2 years each of two versions) without making any
recommendation. I wrote the following email to the group that lays
out how I see the group's work, especially its failure to come up
with any recommendation...<br>
<br>
parminder <br>
<br>
<div class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-forward-container"><br>
-------- Forwarded Message --------
<table class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-email-headers-table" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap>Subject:
</th>
<td>thanks, goodbye, and a few reflections on WGEC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap>Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 1 Feb 2018 19:22:35 +0530</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap>From: </th>
<td>parminder <a class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:parminder.js@gmail.com" target="_blank"><parminder.js@gmail.com></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT" nowrap>To: </th>
<td><a class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org" target="_blank">CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org</a> <a class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org" target="_blank"><CSTD-WGEC@unctad.org></a>, stdev
<a class="m_-3661701783521915404moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:stdev@unctad.org" target="_blank"><stdev@unctad.org></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<p>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3">Dear All</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3">As the two years of WGEC end (4 for me, continuing
from the last WGEC), one departs with a lot of learning,
growth and good memoires. Thank you all for being a part of
it. I wish to say farewell to all, till we meet again!</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3">On the work side: after a night’s sleep over it,
this is what I feel about the WGEC’s work.</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3">There were promising exciting moments in the last
hours. If these could have come earlier it might just have
been possible for us to have made some progress. But then,
unfortunately, they did not. In the end, my summative
assessment is as follows. It would have been nice to have
had a report, but it is more truthful that there isnt one.
That is the true reflection of the state of affairs. And
while we have responsibilities to ourselves and to the group
of nice-ness and collegiality, there is a much higher
responsibility of telling the undiluted truth to the global
public. </font></font> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3">And the truth is that on the matter of how public
governance of the global Internet and the digital phenomenon
should be undertaken in the UN, we today are even more apart
then we were even at the WSIS. A good proof of it comes from
examining what was the central piece of the excitement of
the last hours yesterday (an excitement, I admit, I shared
in the room at that time.). At Tunis, the global community
could agree that (1) the current mechanisms of global public
governance of the Internet were inadequate ( <span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">T</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">unis Agenda</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">, para 6</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">0), and (2) urgent further work is needed
that </span></span></span></font></span>“<span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">could envisage creation of a suitable
framework or mechanisms…” ( para 61). Seventeen
years after WSIS, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">when the</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> Internet/ digital has transformed the
world beyond what anyone could </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">have</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> imagine</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">d</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> in Tunis, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">and there are </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">unthinkably </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">monumental governance needs and
challenges, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">a weak formulation </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">that we can continue to consider “the
possibility of new [institutional approaches]” was
offered as the “big” (and the only) carrot. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">That too only in the last few hours.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">And then is was quickly withdrawn, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">seemingly</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> in exchange of putting, in a portion of
the report </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">that </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">mention</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">ed</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> “the </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">key</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> issues discussed” (and of course non
agreed ), a para or two each of </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">two key divergent positions on the need </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">for</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> new institutional development. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">This would just have been a factual
statement of what actually got presented and
discussed, but not agreed.</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> While I myself shared in the excited
possibility of us getting some agreement somehow,
it is evident that this was much less that what </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">the Tunis Agenda a</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">lready mentions. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">Although it </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">is admittedly</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> better that what has eve</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">r</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> got into the texts since then, which was
why </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">some of us were</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> ready to take it, until the offer got
withdrawn. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">This is where the negotiations collapsed,
as the time was in any case not on our side. </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">A “no report” therefore conveys the fact
of the matter more truthfully to our constituents
that a report that, apologies the for dismissive
tone, but, honestly, largely said things to the
effect that “people in the world should be more
honest </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">and friendly</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">”. Would </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">such a report</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> have </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">represented</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> progress? Not in my view. It </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">w</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">ould more likely have been a smoke screen
of </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">seeming</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> progress on </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">subject, for some unnecessary months or
years, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">which would have only</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> retard</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">ed</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> urgent consideration of this most
important global public policy imperative, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">which</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> is required right now</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">We are already late in fact.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">So rather than rue that we could not agree
to some weak and largely meaningless report </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">regarding</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> how global public governance of the
Internet (and </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">digital phenomenon) should be done, let us
be satisfied that we </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">put in</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> our best efforts </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">to converge</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">, and then honestly </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">we </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">let the world know that there does </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">not</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> yet exist </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">the </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">political will to develop appropriate
global mechanism</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">s</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> of public </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">governance of the Internet. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">E</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">ven in tragedy, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">h</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">onestly serves better that superfluous
make-believes </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">that</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> could elevate </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">one’s</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> spirits temporarily. </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">The</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> public interest is served best by stating
the actual fact, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">and we did that by the act of “no report”</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">. </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">I </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">much </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">thank Amb Benedicto for his exceptionally
patient, inclusive and capable handling of a very
difficult discussion. Special kudos for the
secretariat for providing high quality
professional </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">help</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> that never slipped, </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">which let</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> our work go </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">on so</span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> smoothly.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal"> </span></span></span></font></span><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">And a warm thanks and goodbye to all
members.</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">Best regards</span></span></span></font></span></font></font></p><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:100%"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><span style="font-variant:normal"><font color="#333333"><span style="letter-spacing:normal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:normal">parminder </span></span></span></font></span></font></font>
</p>
</font></span></div>
</div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>______________________________<br>
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:<br>
<a href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net">bestbits@lists.bestbits.net</a>.<br>
To unsubscribe or change your settings, visit:<br>
<a href="http://lists.bestbits.net/wws/info/bestbits" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://lists.bestbits.net/wws/<wbr>info/bestbits</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">Editor, Fast Net News, Wireless One.news, Net Policy News and DSL Prime<br>Author with Jennie Bourne DSL (Wiley) and Web Video: Making It Great, Getting It Noticed (Peachpit)</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div>