<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">In my opinion AI governance has nothing to do with Internet governance. AI can be used on the Internet and against the Internet (censoring content etc) but its governance is separate. This is something we are not clear about in our discussions on AI and have derailed Internet governance discussions with unrelated AI governance issues. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">But I have an answer to your point. Many of us here from undemocratic countries could not have participated effectively in multilateral processes of the UN. Many countries have governments that do not represent them effectively. UN is not an accountable organization. While any stakeholder can participate at IG institutions, this is not the case for the UN processes. Those who oppress us will represent us in the UN processes. Their purpose is to protect their own existence and political institutions rather than representing people. Sometimes they are not even aware of the issues that affect their people. And we cannot fight for inclusion. UN is for the nation states. They are the decisionmakers there even if they claim they have also established multistakeholder processes.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">I believe the mis-contribution to the civil society advocacy was, unfortunately, the unnatural divide that was created by civil society activists among the civil society itself. We were quite effective in WSIS and other processes and to some extent still are at some IG processes. But we are becoming more and more microfragmented. The more fragmented our efforts are, the more we lack collective action, the easier it is for the more powerful to pick us up one by one and make us ineffective. We can have as many stand alone and similiarly themed workshops at IGF because we don't agree with each other on some issues and don't cooperate to draft proposals, we can have parallel and competing civil society meetings and not get together. The ability is surely there but is it to the benefit of civil society, the Internet community and globally connected people? I think the answer is no!</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="m_-4855420458710470640gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Farzaneh </font></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, May 28, 2019 at 8:58 AM parminder <<a href="mailto:parminder@itforchange.net" target="_blank">parminder@itforchange.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<br>
<div class="gmail-m_-4855420458710470640gmail-m_-1698705598261064315moz-forward-container"><br>
<p><font face="Verdana">OECD's digital economy committee has
developed these AI governance principles <a class="gmail-m_-4855420458710470640gmail-m_-1698705598261064315moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/" target="_blank">http://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/</a></font></p>
<p>And now the World Economic Forum has stepped in to do global
governance of AI <br>
</p>
<p><a class="gmail-m_-4855420458710470640gmail-m_-1698705598261064315moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613589/the-world-economic-forum-wants-to-develop-global-rules-for-ai/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=73093912&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9gRdOMFU_P4B7Q-HO5n-3dCwcrtYZbneXewQ5B6cKP8_2SWOESFXhaycLcYQwgtWjcbbicSXA3ZsZpMZt9KPEUNYH5Dw&_hsmi=73093912" target="_blank">https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613589/the-world-economic-forum-wants-to-develop-global-rules-for-ai/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=73093912&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9gRdOMFU_P4B7Q-HO5n-3dCwcrtYZbneXewQ5B6cKP8_2SWOESFXhaycLcYQwgtWjcbbicSXA3ZsZpMZt9KPEUNYH5Dw&_hsmi=73093912</a></p>
<p>Maybe, at least at this stage the IG civil society would want
to re-assess why they fought so bitterly against any such thing
potentially being done at a UN body.... Where at least all
countries are equally represented, and big business does not
dictate terms openly. . (And had at the same time supported the
WEF based NetMundial Initiative.)<br>
</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, we were then told that the UN can have no
role because there are countries like China over there. Really!
The WEF initiative is headed by a USian and a Chinese... Going
beyond the OECD initiative, it is an attempt to find common
ground between the two digital biggies, and the emerging two
poles of the digital world... <br>
</p>
<p>So, we have what many of us have been warning all this
multistakeholderism is about ...It is a way to subvert
democratic institutions and thinking and make it more acceptable
to have those who are politically and economically the strongest
to dictate rules to everyone... From democratic governance to a
market of governance, where what you can do depends on what
power you bring to the table. <br>
</p>
<p>We see this happening right in front of our eyes..</p>
<p>And how bitterly did the civil society reps, and also tech
community, oppose at the UN working group on enhanced
cooperation for international public policies (and other
forums), in the end, even to just have a day or two of annual
dedicated meeting at the most innocuous Commission for Science
and Technology for Development, where developing countries could
bring up their Internet/ digital governance problems , and could
maybe have just that small role in shaping global digital
governance, including AI governance...</p>
<p>But, no, multistakeholderism checks for your political and
economic heft not your democratic legitimacy.<br>
</p>
<p>Now, the developing countries can sit on the outside and wait
for the richest countries (OECD) and the biggest global
businesses (WEF) to develop global digital/ AI rules and convey
it to them!</p>
<p>Does the Internet governance civil society plan to introspect
on this all important mis-contribution that it made? Or at least
the developing country participants here? <br>
</p>
<p>parminder <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
</div>
</div>
____________________________________________________________<br>
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:<br>
<a href="mailto:bestbits@lists.bestbits.net" target="_blank">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/info/bestbits</a></blockquote></div>