<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Hi Guys,</div><div><br></div><div>I did not like seeing the proposal for there merger between the IGC and Best Bits brought up FIRST outside the IGC List as opposed to this being an in-house discussion first. On the notion that there are some in IGC who are also in Best Bits  and the same can be said for several other organisations, however this does not necessarily call for mergers with those organisations. What the Coordinators should be doing and soliciting input from its members are in identifying key strategic forums that the IGC can prepare to engage in.</div><div><br></div><div>The IGC should be preparing input into the key global initiatives,</div><div><br></div><div>(1) The Digital Cooperation. <span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The four additional channels for input from organizations and the public, which are summarized here: </span><a href="https://digitalcooperation.org/get-involved/" target="_blank" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;text-decoration:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://digitalcooperation.org/get-involved/</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.  The Secretariat team will synthesize any written contributions that come in by Jan. 31th 2019.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(2)Freedom of Expression Online. Given that we have IGC members who sit on key panels such as the Information Democracy Commission launched within the last quarter of this year, the IGC should have no problem submitting a global study and report to some of these key bodies. Just a matter of organising cross collaboration of individuals and agencies.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(3) Input into the Open Consultations facilitated by the IGF Secretariat  that will take place in Geneva at the end of January, 2019. </span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(4) Preparing for the WSIS in April, 2019 and to see if the IGC can host some workshops or have a booth in Geneva.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(5) Engagement in the review of the SDGs pertaining to the Internet in New York and co-hosting workshops at the UN HQ in New York.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(6) Co-hosting side events or sessions at the Technical Community meetings. This can take place by involving and working with technical community members who are part of the IGC and work towards engaging valuable discussions.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I would also like to see better participation from the IGC within the IGF Intersessionals such as the Best Practice Forums and the Dynamic Coalitions and effective engagement with the National and Regional IGFs. This obviously calls for a robust review of the current IGC and its systems and if we see that there is a need for the merger and subject to the broad consensus of the IGC, I do not see why not.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With every best wish,</span></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sala</span></div></div></div>