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    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 23/03/21 11:09 pm, Mueller, Milton L
      wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
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        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">All:
            <o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">As
            I stated earlier, I think this dialogue is worth having,
            even if most of Parminder's arguments are weak and the
            neoMarxist ideology underlying them have been proven time
            and again to lead to stunted economic development and
            authoritarian systems of governance. It is worth having
            because it deals with the fundamentals of internet
            governance</span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>I begin from this point of agreement that the issues here deal
      "with the fundamentals if internal governance". I will come later,
      or in another email, to my own name calling about what ideologies
      your arguments espouse so as not the distract from the most
      important parts of this discussion.</p>
    <p>Indeed, Milton, I was very much looking forward to your response
      but am quite disappointed by it. You have very little to argue
      beyond "you  like China, want ...", which is a pretty silly level
      to debate about what you yourself agree are issues dealing with
      the fundamentals of Internet governance. <br>
    </p>
    <p>I did not think I would need to argue, that too with a prof of
      public policy, such well-established principles of public
      governance and policy making in general, and global levels of them
      in particular, like what are the canons of funding public
      governance and policy making, and what indeed is the current role
      of global governance as we know it. <br>
    </p>
    <br>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">You
            say it is "unacceptable that such an apex policy body will
            have corporation and government nominees sitting as equals."
            So, let's be clear: you are rejecting the multistakeholder
            principle and advocating for a traditional intergovernmental
            arrangement of the sort favored by authoritarian states.
            Their preference has always been to exclude the private
            sector and civil society from direct participation and make
            IG a governments-only game. Your attempt to revive the
            long-dead "enhanced cooperation" process pushes in that
            direction as well.</span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>You have most conveniently avoided the matter of OCED's CDEP
      (committee on digital economy policy) entirely, when it was a big
      and one of the most important part of my email. I have
      deliberately and persistently stuck to a clear 'object of
      interest' because otherwise we can keep going in circles accusing
      each other in abstract terms, as you again do here, that I am
      'rejecting the multistakeholder principle'  My email was clear, I
      not only fully accept the multistakeholder model that OECD employs
      for its digital policy making, I and the networks that I work with
      have officially sought as 'the exact same model'  for the global
      or the UN level, and developing countries have officially sought
      in UN committees and the UN GA 'the exact same model'  for the
      global or the UN level .... How many times do I need to say the
      same thing, and you do everything other than engage it. Lets see
      if you'd do any better in your next email!</p>
    <p>OCED calls its processes of public policy making as a
      multistakeholder model ( I had provided a link to an OECD doc
      explicitly saying this), ISOC calls it as a multistakeholder model
      (can provide link) .... So, if this is the multistakeholder model
      for supra-national Internet/ digital policy making, then you are
      clearly wrong; no I do not reject the multistakeholder principle.
      I indeed advocate it for the global/ UN level<br>
    </p>
    <p>But if you have some other multistakeholder model in your mind
      for supra-national Internet/ digital policy making, please come
      out with it and I can tell you whether I support it or not. I
      cannot make it any clearer!?<br>
    </p>
    <p>And sure enough, you consistently refuse to let us know why you
      support the OECD's CDEP's policy work, but wont support a similar
      (exact cut paste) model at the global level, and how doing that is
      not a colonial attitude? I still look forward to your response to
      this central question. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">You
            also object to the use of private sector funding, allegedly
            because this will corrupt the process. While it is true
            that, say, an entity funded entirely by Microsoft or
            Facebook would be biased and problematic, I am curious as to
            why you have no similar concerns about governmental funding.
            Are you saying that the U.S., China, Russia, the UK or
            European Union are entirely selfless, virtuous entities with
            no special interests they would push? Are you saying that
            nation-states never support or withhold support for UN
            agencies based on their politics? Maybe you have forgotten
            about the recent US withdrawal from WHO? Or the infiltration
            of the UN Human Rights Council by states that want to
            suppress discussion of HR violations? </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>As a professor of public policy you surely know that public
      policy functions cannot - repeat cannot -- be funded by private
      funds. At the global level, public funds are the proportionate
      contributions that countries make to the UN fund. I remain fully
      and consistency of the view that any UN based global public policy
      functions can and should only be funded from this pool of funds.
      In the same way as it will be scandalous to involve private
      funding for any public policy function in the US.  Or do you
      disagree?<br>
    </p>
    <p>Even for supra-national level policy making, lets take the OECD
      example again .. Let some of guys who freely advocate that  global
      level public policy making (because it invokes those poor,
      undependable, developing countries) should be based on corporate
      funding, try and suggest any such thing for the OECD public policy
      processes.... I challenge you, just even try write a letter
      suggesting that, and you know what ridicule you'd subject to
      ....... So, are these things only reserved for poor, undependable,
      developing countries?  This is why your approach is colonial, no
      less. I am just about resting uttering the word racist -- but if
      you read the literature related to colonialism, racism runs
      through it. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Note
            that it is overwhelmingly private sector funding and
            operation that built the internet and keeps it going. Are
            you proposing a return to the state-owned PTTs of the 19<sup>th</sup>
            and early 20<sup>th</sup> century? They have a pretty poor
            record, both in terms of development and rights.</span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>Ah! One wonders if one is doing this discussion with a professor
      of public policy!This was the principle of feudal political system
      -- ownership of means of production also ipso facto gave one
      political power. The republican-democratic tradition have tried to
      separate these two key realms of power -- and the whole
      republican-democratic institutional system is based on this
      cardinal principle. And here a US prof of public policy is not
      able to distinguish between talking about the actors involved in
      economic production in a sector, and those who should do public
      policy for it! This is almost depressing. <br>
    </p>
    <p>But lets go past theory, and take an example. Big pharma controls
      almost all health related production -- medicines, equipment,
      etc....  Is that a good reason whereby big pharma should
      legitimately dominate health policy making at the US and the
      global level? Fund it, have its reps in decision making positions,
      etc. I am very eager to know your views on this. Thanks. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Fact
            of the matter is, if IGF - even in its current form - is
            going to survive, it is going to need money, and whoever
            provides that money is going to see it as in their interests
            in some way. Ergo, drawing on diverse private sector
            resources in addition to UN's governmental budget or
            governmental sources can actually improve its independence
            and quality.
          </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>Id ask the same questions (however shocking your views are to me,
      esp as coming from a prof of public policy). Would you advocate
      such diversity of funding, tapping into private sector funding,
      for digital and health policy processes in the US? And, in the
      OECD?   Be brave, and let your views be known clearly. Otherwise,
      the accusation of a colonial mindset will be well-deserved. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">More
            broadly, the corporations who would most likely be tapped do
            not have common interests, which I am sure you know if you
            have been paying any attention to the
            Apple-Google-Microsoft-Facebook-Tiktok disputes). </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>A trite formulation ((btw, big pharma's interests too diverge
      internally).... It is perhaps you who do not pay attention to
      where all the interests of these digital corporations actually
      converge -- which elements also mostly involve the greatest
      divergence from wider public interest. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p><br>
            </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">You
            assert that "a High level Multistakeholder Body for ‘Digital
            Cooperation’...would become the de facto body for ‘global
            digital governance’." This is either a tremendously ignorant
            or absurdly demogogic statement. Just to take the three most
            significant power centers, the US, the EU and China, all
            have active and powerful antitrust authorities, who are
            engaged in a rather systematic assault on the platforms. All
            three, plus India, have legal and regulatory powers over
            data, privacy and so on, and are actively using them. With
            the exception of the US, all have extensive censorship
            powers, and are actively using them. All are partitioning
            the internet based on claims of “national security.” All are
            asserting, or exercising, extra territorial jurisdiction I
            various ways.</span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>I am sorry, Milton, it is you who is tremendously ignorant about
      global governance. Since abstracts and concepts have not been
      making much headway with you, lets talk again in concrete
      examples. You have heard of 'global health governance', right
      ((google, if you have not)? The WHO is of course at the centre of
      it. Despite which all big nations you mention have their own
      health systems, like the never ending political debate in the US
      about its stupendously bad and inequitous health system. The WHO
      has had limited influence on these key health governance issues at
      the national level, but still WHO's global health governance is
      tremendously important and valuable. Are you getting the point? So
      you are basically tilting at self-created windmills, which just
      confuses the debate. There are powers of the nation state, and
      there is a role for global governance, and then also a continual
      contest between the two arenas as well. All this is well known,
      for anyone to get carried away by your rhetoric. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">If
            you are claiming that somehow a loose, weakly funded
            UN-based multistakeholder alliance is going to negate or
            supersede these uses of state power, you are really out of
            touch with the political and economic realities of internet
            governance and have no business accusing anyone of being in
            an ivory tower.
          </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>It is your ivory tower of some completely implausible Internet
      exceptionalism plus some radical libertarian notions that blinds
      you to simple well known facts of global governance as have been
      discussed above. What the new proposed MS body for digital
      governance makes incursions on is what could and should be a 'WHO
      of digital governance' and not so much on the power of the nation
      states to govern themselves. Although, as mentioned, a lot of work
      of norms making, soft law, etc does get undertaken even in this
      regard. And in time, in every sector, some harder agreements also
      do get signed by all.  All these can play a very important role in
      domestic governance . Where is the question here of negating or
      superseding uses of state power .  You are just creating your own
      imagined targets and then taking great pleasure in demolishing
      them!<br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p><br>
            </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Now
            let's consider your (quite vague) ideas about what should be
            done instead. All you say is that you want a "a genuinely
            democratic system for global digital governance, keeping
            vested corporate interests at bay." It is evident that you,
            like the People Republic of China, mean by "democratic" a
            multilateral system, one government one vote, in which
            individuals have no role and the actual private sector
            owners and operators of networks and applications are "kept
            at bay" and regulated in a top-down manner by a collection
            of states. </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>As I said, I mean by democratic the system employed by the OECD
      for supra-national digital policy making. How many times I have to
      say it, to engage your engagement to that particular matter. There
      has to be a limit to how much the China boggie can be used in
      global digital governance discussions. Please try and find a
      better argument. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">You
            have no idea how states with fundamental disagreements about
            rights, law, political economy and economic policy will come
            to agreement on how to do this, of course. </span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>As someone who claims expertise in global governance matters, I
      would have expected you to know the history of how much agreement
      on rights, law, political economy and economic policy has actually
      been managed by UN based bodies over the last any decades. And btw
      if they could not do even more, the chief culprit is not China as
      much as the US (it not having even signed the covenant on social
      and economic rights). So if there is a 'China problem' for global
      governance, there is at least as big if not bigger 'US problem'
      too. But we are managing somehow, arent we... Including with a
      global Internet domain and routing logic system which is managed
      by a body subject entirely to the US law, and considerably to its
      executive power too. Democratic global governance is a work in
      progress. But regressions, as this proposal for the MS body at the
      apex of global digital governance, are certainty to resisted
      stoutly. <br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p><br>
            </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">So
            I am sorry, I fail to see anything in your letter other than
            posturing, raising the spectre of a huge and powerful
            corporate-dominated entity in order to mobilize a bunch of
            fringe groups into another anti-capitalist diatribe.</span></p>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>I did not know it was capitalist for corporates to fund, and run,
      public policy functions! I had a much better view of capitalism. <br>
    </p>
    <p>Anyway, it does you no credit to call some prime organisations
      that lead global movements  in areas as diverse as media and
      education to health, labour, environment and gender  as a bunch of
      fringe groups. But, entirely your choice! These organisations
      certainly know much more about global governance than you seem to
      know. Even beyond formal matters about appropriate global
      governance -- which alone is the subject of the campaign letter,,
      even for substantive digital policy issues, the interest and
      involvement of these groups is very important as the real impact
      of the digital, and its governance (or not) is felt principally in
      all these different sectors.</p>
    <p>As for how well people like you, IGP, and many other
      organisations, that have been involved with IG for long, have been
      able to represent and serve the interests of those outside these
      charmed circles was well demonstrated during the .org sale
      controversy. But about that at some other time.  <br>
    </p>
    <br>
    <p>regards, parminder <br>
    </p>
    <p><br>
    </p>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:BN7PR07MB4689CCB4BE801FD23DEFD0CBA1649@BN7PR07MB4689.namprd07.prod.outlook.com">
      <div class="WordSection1">
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Best
            regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dr.
            Milton L Mueller<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Georgia
            Institute of Technology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">School
            of Public Policy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><img
              style="width:2.1666in;height:.868in" id="_x0000_i1026"
              src="cid:part1.43695FE2.208EAC3D@itforchange.net"
              alt="IGP_logo_gold block" class="" width="208" height="83"
              border="0"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
        <div>
          <div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1
            1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
            <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
                  style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
                parminder <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:parminder@itforchange.net"><parminder@itforchange.net></a>
                <br>
                <b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 22, 2021 7:51 AM<br>
                <b>To:</b> Mueller, Milton L <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:milton@gatech.edu"><milton@gatech.edu></a>;
                <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a><br>
                <b>Subject:</b> Re: [Governance] 170 orgs send an open
                letter to UN SG to stop plans for a new High Level
                Multistakeholder Body<o:p></o:p></span></p>
          </div>
        </div>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <div>
          <p class="MsoNormal">On 22/03/21 2:15 am, Mueller, Milton L
            wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
        </div>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">I’ve
              looked over the letter and am not impressed;
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Milton,
              thanks for responding, even though you find the Digital
              Cooperation initiative irrelevant. This is certainly much
              better than what many here who are actively engaged with
              shaping and pushing this initiative have bothered to do. I
              hope they also express their response and views.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">not
              with the argument it presents nor with the astroturfed
              list of 170 organizations.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">So you
              find the active involvement and support of global
              organisations that are, for instance, the primary global
              networks of grassroots organisations in areas like health,
              education, food security, and conservation; top global
              trade unions; top global organisations working on gender
              justice, and global trade; some of the most prominent
              global development NGOs; as astroturfing? The most
              prominent among these, if not members of Just Net
              Coalition, are actually in active partnerships with the
              JNC on Internet/ digital governance issues. And mind you,
              this is the support we got over just 3 days which
              unfortunately included a weekend -- owing to a deadline
              for submitting comments to the UN process.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">You
              dismiss them as some irrelevant anti-globalisation
              organisations and activists from two decades ago; losers,
              perhaps, who lap up any global campaign letter thrown at
              them for getting their names printed on it!</span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">I reckon
              then that real people's perspectives and representation in
              Internet/digital governance matters should come from from
              a certain professorial chair at Syracuse University in the
              US, or it is that you have now shifted to somewhere in
              Georgia. </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">A group
              of around 20 prominent global organisations and networks,
              having prepared this letter, are currently collaborating
              over an e-list for follow-ups, including establishing
              contacts with people inside the UN, government delegates
              etc, apart from spreading the message wider among CS
              groups and engaging them.. And this is outside the Just
              Net Coalition, JNC being just a participant in this
              collaboration. 
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">This
              should puncture the pompous arrogance with which you
              typically come to such matters, and we can move now to
              more substantive matters. See in-line.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">We
              at IGP have largely, and deliberately, ignored the UN’s
              initiatives around so-called High Level
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Digital
              Cooperation. Not because we think it is leading in a bad
              direction or is part of an evil capitalist plot, nor do we
              think the people promoting it are badly motivated. We just
              think it is mostly irrelevant. It is founded on model of
              governance that is unrealistic and unlikely to have any
              impact on the internet (or platforms, which is not the
              same as the internet).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">The
              Internet consists of 70,000 autonomous systems using a
              common layer 3 and 4 protocol to communicate. Key elements
              of the internet infrastructure are governed by what we
              call the Organically Developed Internet institutions, such
              as IETF (standards), ICANN (domain names) the Regional
              Internet Registries (IP addressing) and cooperative action
              among network operators (routing, interconnection).
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Because
              the internet has created a globalized space for
              communication, many new problems and new forms of
              governance are evolving at the transnational layer that go
              well beyond critical internet resources. They affect
              issues areas such as cybersecurity, content moderation,
              and privacy.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">So, you
              have defined Internet/ digital governance to be the
              technical governance of the Internet plus largely these
              three areas involving a digital version of libertarian
              minimal state. You do not consider, for instance, data, AI
              or platform regulation, especially the distributive issues
              involved therein, as Internet/digital governance, right.
              You have the right to your definitions of Internet/
              digital governance, but it is evident that the world
              overwhelming disagrees with you, including the IGF (see
              its program). </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Some
              of these transnational initiatives are, in our opinion,
              praiseworthy; others are not. But it is both unlikely and
              undesirable for them to be consolidated or centralized in
              the hands of a single global body, whether it is called
              “multistakeholder” or “intergovernmental.” No such body is
              going to be able to have the power or the expertise or the
              widespread legitimacy and participation to address all
              these areas. Only a dialogue forum is possible at the IGF
              level.   </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Two
              responses to this: One, lets consider the WHO; It really
              cannot be considered as global health governance being
              'consolidated or centralized in the hands of a single
              global body' . But it still does very useful norms and
              standards setting work, develops global legal instruments,
              as required and possible, develops and coordinates
              frameworks of responses and other programmatic action,
              does neutral public interest global research and capacity
              development, and so on. WHO's existence has been extremely
              useful, and has not impeded other transnational
              initiatives This is true of UN global governance bodies in
              all areas. Digital is more inherently global than any
              other sector. So, why would a similar body for Internet/
              digital governance not also be useful. </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Second:
              But if in any case you still remain absolutely opposed to
              a cross-sectoral, apex, digital policy and governance
              body, and I have been raising this same issue for at least
              12-13 years now, why you never oppose the OECD's Committee
              on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP)? In the name of the body,
              'Economy'  is there only for forms sake. This committee
              shapes digital policy in all areas, from principles for
              tech architecture, to platforms and content, to data and
              AI. Why do OECD needs a transnational, single digital
              governance body, when you so strongly oppose such a body
              at the global level. I have raised this issue often, and
              at one time when you could not avoid responding, you
              dismissed this body as a capacity building body, which is
              of course an untruth. OECD committees do go as far as
              developing
              <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegalinstruments.oecd.org%2Fen%2Finstruments%2FOECD-LEGAL-0347&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107742995041%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=5A%2F4HOwxmh%2F26SLcBCw7igI4RLu6o3EJ8ybTozsEdDs%3D&reserved=0"
                moz-do-not-send="true">
                legal instruments</a>. </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">The
              latest initiative of the CDEP is on
              <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oecd.org%2Fsti%2Fieconomy%2Ftrusted-government-access-personal-data-private-sector.htm&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743005033%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=%2BsnBqk3C3gn8Ra9l8QcZJNzw7oS0OjELQu8WZ39qW6E%3D&reserved=0"
                moz-do-not-send="true">
                government access to data held by the private sector</a>.
              The likely outcomes could be a document of policy
              principles but it could even be a legal instrument. Since
              digital policy making is a cross-sectoral work, CDEP often
              works in collaboration with other OECD Committees towards
              different ends. For instance, it worked with the Committee
              on Health to develop
              <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fone.oecd.org%2Fdocument%2FCOM%2FDELSA%2FDSTI(2016)1%2Fen%2Fpdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743005033%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=fPxsGyoM%2BliqBAFlwep5erlwRZ2Sy4TRYzgBsA2CW24%3D&reserved=0"
                moz-do-not-send="true">
                Health Data Principles</a>. A very appropriate kind of
              output, and done in the right way too. Similarly a UN body
              on digital governance -- while all countries and not just
              the richest ones are represented  -- should work with the
              WHO to develop global Health Data Principles. In default
              of an UN Internet/ digital governance body, OECD's norms,
              principles and policies become the default global one.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">But here
              you develop cold feet... OECD committees should keep
              functioning and rolling out global governance norms,
              principles and policies, but not any UN body. That is not
              needed, any such thing is completely relevant. This is
              plainly a colonial attitude. It is a pity that in the
              global Internet/ digital governance space one can openly
              do such a thing. It normally does not happen elsewhere, in
              global civil society spaces.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">You are
              from the US, why dont you advocate to the OECD, where your
              gov sits,  to cede its one-point cross-sectoral digital
              norms/ policy work, and abolish the body specifically made
              for this purpose? What right do you have to tell the rest
              of the world to not do it? I repeat, it is plain and
              simple colonialism.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Worse,
              increasingly, national governments are trying to interfere
              with or control usage of the internet at the application
              layer. This is leading to an increasingly fragmented,
              costly, and repressive environment. One could call this
              tech nationalism, jurisdictional alignment, fragmentation
              or a digital neo-mercantilism. IGP has published numerous
              critiques of these pathologies.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">In
              this context, for JustNet and its partners to portray
              “regulation of big tech” as the salvation of the internet,
              and the UN’s attempt to create a High Level MS Body as an
              entity with “</span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">overweening
              power” that “would help Big Tech resist effective
              regulation” is just laughable.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">First,
              the term 'overweening power' is used for Big Tech, and not
              the proposed High Level MS body. And if you do not think
              that Big Tech today has overweening power, which needs to
              be urgently regulated, it is you who is entirely out of
              touch with global intellectual, political, as well as
              public opinion. You are sitting lonesomely in some
              untenable libertarian ivory tower. But one thing I must
              commend you for is consistency. You responded to one of my
              emails years back in this very same space saying that you
              think 'social justice' is a meaningless term. So while
              consistent you might be, you are completely out of touch
              with contemporary digital reality. Internet, and those who
              were associated with it, were seen 20 years ago as
              representing counter power; today the Internet is
              controlled by those who represent the most pernicious
              incumbent power. Counters have now to be developed to this
              entrenched and fast expanding power. If 'your' internet
              governance is not taking note of this -- what is happening
              just outside your window -- it is you who is stuck in some
              20 year old realities, not the organisations that
              developed and supported this campaign letter. </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">I
              do not see how anyone with any deep knowledge of IG can
              take it seriously. It has very little relevance to
              contemporary problems of IG.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Your IG
              knowledge has perhaps gone too deep - so deep that you may
              be alone wallowing there in the deep, in a manner very
              irrelevant to contemporary problems of IG. Although, your
              no doubt incisive and well written analyses -- however
              besides the point mostly -- do often provide very good
              cover to contemporary 'bad' digital forces. And therefore
              they get lapped up. Like this current email of yours is
              doing great favours to the shapers and supporters of the
              Digital Cooperation High Level MS Body, who themselves
              have little to be able to present their case in a
              democratic-discursive way, in spaces like this public
              elist.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Insofar
              as it has any substance, it seems to call for more
              nation-state based regulation of internet operations and
              content.  But this is something that, from Trump’s Great
              Firewall of America, to Russia’s “sovereign” Internet, to
              Europe’s NIS2, to India’s app blocking and censorship, to
              China’s insulated internet, we already have plenty of. And
              we are getting more and it seems to be making things
              worse.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">There has
              to be a limit to the Libertarians' clever technique to
              continue quoting the undoubted statist excesses vis a vis
              the digital to keep at bay appropriate regulation of Big
              Tech, and also the needed national policies to escape the
              coming bi-polar US-China's complete digital and AI
              domination of the word. State's undue power has to be
              resisted at the same time as a rule of law has to be
              established and applied for governing non-state bad
              actors.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">By
              the way, has anyone at JustNet noticed that Facebook is
              joining them in their call for more internet regulation at
              the national level? Think about the implications of that
              for a moment: <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabout.fb.com%2Fregulations%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743015025%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=9JSoftenN07OggfE7WOl8hKhaP54A4QNK2oiyJH8k9Q%3D&reserved=0"
                moz-do-not-send="true">
                <span style="color:#00007F">https://about.fb.com/regulations/</span></a>
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">If
              you read the letter, you can see that they obtained the
              support of all these organization – very few of whom
              actually focus on Internet or ICT governance</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">For you
              Internet governance is about core technical systems of the
              Internet/ digital. For everyone else, its scope and
              meaning is fast expanding outwards, getting closer to the
              points and manners of the real-life impacts of the
              digital. There are of course organisations in this list of
              170 plus organisations that deal centrally with digital
              governance, but then many others that are looking at
              platform/data/AI governance in relation to food and
              agriculture, health, education, trade, gender relations,
              labour, and so on. There is one that is a chief
              port-of-call for developing country governments on
              e-commerce issues in trade deals (btw, much of IG today is
              done in and through trade deals), another is represented
              in a new data working group of the World Committee on Food
              security of FAO, a third is developing health data
              principles, another working on feminist digital justice,
              another on how platforms use data to control dependent
              businesses, .... I can keep going, but you get the point.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal">Should they all come to Prof Milton Mueller
          to get what Internet/ digital governance is!? It is perhaps
          time you go to them, if you have to keep 'your' IG relevant.
          <o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">–
              by equating the UN HLDC with the World Economic Forum.
              This is factually wrong, but it does succeed at throwing
              red meat in front of the anti-globalization activists from
              two decades ago. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">No one
              equated UN HLDC with the WEF. It is was another WEF we
              wont have such a problem. What we have shown is that UN
              HLDC represent the exact unfolding of a plan for global
              governance that WEF laid out 10 years back through its
              Global Redesign Imitative. And we provide exact
              quotations. Dont you see the difference? 
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">I have
              already described what these organisations are. You make
              fun of them at your own cost.
            </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">Internet
              governance needs to be accomplished from the bottom up,
              and rely heavily on networked, non-hierarchical forms of
              governance.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">But not
              when  OECD does it ... They are rich people and nations,
              mostly of the western civilisation, they know what they
              are doing, they have superior rights over the world!
              Please stop this colonial narrative.  </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">We
              need to protect and strengthen, not destroy or undermine,
              the organically developed internet institutions. When
              state-based, hierarchical interventions are necessary,
              they need to be carefully circumscribed and focused to
              address real problems that cannot be handled in any other
              way, such as crime, fraud, and coercion.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Your
              libertarian definition of the scope of Internet/ digital
              governance! Sorry, developing countries at least cannot
              agree. For us economic issues, regulating Big Tech,
              developing domestic digital industry, etc are all very
              important. </span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><br>
          <br>
          <o:p></o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79">The
              UN should stop trying to become a centerpoint of global
              internet governance and continue to serve as a place for
              dialogue and network building.
            </span><o:p></o:p></p>
        </blockquote>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Go first
              tell this to your country and the OECD...</span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Meanwhile,
              further discussion is very welcome.</span></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><tt><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%">Regards,
              parminder </span>
          </tt><o:p></o:p></p>
        <p><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dr.
              Milton L Mueller</span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Georgia
              Institute of Technology</span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">School
              of Public Policy</span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><img
                style="width:2.2152in;height:.8819in"
                id="Picture_x0020_1"
                src="cid:part6.8216AD41.7B086635@itforchange.net"
                alt="IGP_logo_gold block" class="" width="213"
                height="85" border="0"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
          <div>
            <div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1
              1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
              <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
                    style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
                  Governance
                  <a href="mailto:governance-bounces@lists.igcaucus.org"
                    moz-do-not-send="true"><governance-bounces@lists.igcaucus.org></a>
                  <b>On Behalf Of </b>parminder via Governance<br>
                  <b>Sent:</b> Saturday, March 13, 2021 12:30 AM<br>
                  <b>To:</b> <a
                    href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org"
                    moz-do-not-send="true">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a><br>
                  <b>Subject:</b> [Governance] 170 orgs send an open
                  letter to UN SG to stop plans for a new High Level
                  Multistakeholder Body</span><o:p></o:p></p>
            </div>
          </div>
          <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
          <p>The open letter was sent to the official consultation
            process, signed by more than 170 organisations.<o:p></o:p></p>
          <p>It was titled "“More than 170 Civil Society Groups
            Worldwide Oppose Plans for a Big Tech Dominated Body for
            Global Digital Governance” .<o:p></o:p></p>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Please see the final statement and endorsements at</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743015025%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=R7auhjhRX4Dnf1vbQFhXSpww5b%2BqGDufxLERpz5op8g%3D&reserved=0" moz-do-not-send="true">https://justnetcoalition.org/big-tech-governing-big-tech.pdf</a>  .</span>  <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">It was also translated into Spanish, French, German and Dutch. All versions are linked from the enclosed document </span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We had just 3 days to get sign ons, out of which 2 were weekend days. In the circumstances, the number is quite good. It shows the groundswell to opposition to this move. Thanks to everyone who supported this.</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We will now get this letter also sent directly to the UN SG and his new Tech Envoy.</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We will like to keep this campaign open for some time to get additional support and build awareness ...</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">This ongoing campaign is just a start, much more needs to be done and will be done to stop this assault on democracy and on possibilities of effective regulation of Big Tech. We will be doing all it takes, including engaging with governments.</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We will follow a twin track: develop a powerful movement within civil society groups, and engage with governments and the UN.</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Will keep you posted.</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Best regards</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <pre><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">parminder</span><o:p></o:p></pre>
          <div>
            <p class="MsoNormal">On 05/03/21 2:15 pm, parminder via
              Governance wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
          </div>
          <blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
            <div>
              <div>
                <div>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">Dear All</span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">This is an<a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743025019%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=3TT8bEZQ3%2B%2BctKS6oTJgzZFiND6Jwl5gv4vXvmdr9Zc%3D&reserved=0"
                        moz-do-not-send="true"> open letter to the UN
                        Secretary General</a> initiated by 16 global and
                      national level civil society networks and
                      organisations urging him to shelve plans for a
                      High Level Multistakeholder Body which, if set up,
                      can be expected to become the default apex global
                      digital governance and policy body. This body is
                      proposed to have a private funding model, with
                      strong hints also at a 'pay to play' model. It is
                      but obvious that Big Tech will come to dominate
                      any such body.
                    </span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">Quoting from the letter:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <blockquote
                    style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
                    <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><i><span
                          style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                          ,sans-serif",serif">Not only in
                          developing countries but also in the US and
                          EU, calls for stronger regulation of Big Tech
                          are rising. At the precise point when we
                          should be shaping global norms to regulate Big
                          Tech, plans have emerged for an ‘empowered’
                          global digital governance body that will
                          evidently be dominated by Big Tech. Adding
                          vastly to its already overweening power, this
                          new Body would help Big Tech resist effective
                          regulation, globally and at national levels.
                          Indeed, we face the unbelievable prospect of ‘<b>a
                            Big Tech led body for Global Governance of
                            Big Tech’</b>.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
                  </blockquote>
                  <p class="MsoNormal"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif"> Two technical annexes to
                      the open letter explain the background of the
                      matter in considerable detail.
                    </span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><b><span
                        style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                        ,sans-serif",serif">This letter is open for
                        endorsements,
                      </span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri
                      Light ,sans-serif",serif">which can be done
                      by writing an email to
                    </span><u><span style="color:navy"><a
                          href="mailto:secretariat@justnetcoalition.org"
                          moz-do-not-send="true"><span
                            style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                            ,sans-serif",serif" lang="EN-GB">secretariat@justnetcoalition.org</span></a></span></u><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif"> or filling </span><u><span
                        style="color:navy"><a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech-form&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743025019%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=OHqaUWlDEw2GrBwrCfqJ%2F7DxnMYCbUPvoMLTkjuWGng%3D&reserved=0"
                          moz-do-not-send="true"><span
                            style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                            ,sans-serif",serif" lang="EN-GB">this
                            form</span></a></span></u><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif"> before midnight PST
                      (GMT-8) of the 7<sup>th
                      </sup></span><span
                      style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">of
                      March.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">Please also do circulate
                      to other groups and networks where it may attract
                      interest.
                    </span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">The open letter may also
                      be accessed at
                      <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743035014%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=1%2FkmdHKbyNos00%2FjJKXEYAiDMmo9YqYxycHhBbk8ODM%3D&reserved=0"
                        moz-do-not-send="true">
https://justnetcoalition.org/big-tech-governing-big-tech.pdf</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">French text is at <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech-french.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743045008%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=9SmzlOs7upKDdi%2FtZOK9phgb00rUbsol2vJeWMQ1G7I%3D&reserved=0"
                        moz-do-not-send="true">
                        :
                        https://justnetcoalition.org/big-tech-governing-big-tech-french.pdf</a>
                      and Spanish version at -
                      <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjustnetcoalition.org%2Fbig-tech-governing-big-tech-spanish.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Cmilton%40gatech.edu%7C2dcfd5131f4f441c626c08d8ed28bb9a%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C0%7C0%7C637520107743045008%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Kmx1IA2dhXbY8saboeEMC%2Frkis8Ul0%2FxCVLITBygdLk%3D&reserved=0"
                        moz-do-not-send="true">
https://justnetcoalition.org/big-tech-governing-big-tech-spanish.pdf</a>
                    </span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">Please let us know if you
                      have any questions or comments regarding the
                      above.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="western"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:5.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.75pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></p>
                  <p class="MsoNormal"><span
                      style="font-family:"Calibri Light
                      ,sans-serif",serif">Best, parminder
                    </span><o:p></o:p></p>
                </div>
              </div>
            </div>
            <p class="MsoNormal"><br>
              <br>
              <br>
              <o:p></o:p></p>
          </blockquote>
        </blockquote>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
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