[bestbits] Update on Civil Society proposal to open participation in CWG-Internet

[Gene Kimmelman]

Maybe it is time for civil society to walk away from this process and
refuse to accept it as legitimate?  At a moment when events make it crystal
clear that we need global discussion of critical human rights principles
and norms for governments (and companies) to follow, how can we keep
banging our heads against the ITU wall of resistance?  Maybe an appeal to
the UN could shake things up, boycotting the ITU process until we are given
a full voice at the table?


On Tue, Jun 25, 2013 at 9:04 AM, Deborah Brown <deborah at accessnow.org>wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> Unfortunately the proposal to open up the ITU Council Working Group on
> Internet Related Public Policy Issues was not agreed on at the recent ITU
> Council meeting, which concluded late last week. It seems that although
> some Council members were supportive of the idea in principle, they choose
> not to be very vocal, and others simply opposed it.
>
> The Secretary General has said that he will consult a group of experts
> outside the CWG but no direct participation from civil society will be
> permitted. I'm trying to find out more details on how the Secretary General
> will conduct these consultations, as well as when the next CWG-Internet
> meeting will be, which I will pass along to this list.
>
> For your information Sweden made the following statement. ****
>
> *“Sweden notes that the proposal is that the Council does not approve
> proposals to enable participation by all stakeholders in the work of the
> CWG Internet.***
>
> *Sweden further note that there is no proposal to authorize public access
> to ITU documents related to the Council Working Group on international
> Internet-related public policy issues (CWG Internet).  We need
> clarification on how stakeholders should be able to participate in the
> debate if they do not have access to all documents.***
>
> *Sweden is of the view that openness and transparency is important and is
> one of the basic principles to be applied in ITU and open participation and
> public access to documents would help to promote ITU as a transparent and
> open organization and to improve its public image.***
>
> *Sweden is further of the view that many issues discussed at ITU meetings
> are of interest both to the membership and to non-members including the
> general public and that there is a need to take full account of the
> interests of all stakeholders. ***
>
> *Sweden fully support the existing multistakeholder model for internet
> governance and the need to involve all stakeholders, both member states and
> other stakeholders, in the discussions related to Internet issues, also in
> ITU.***
>
> *Sweden therefore is of the view that the group should be open to all
> stakeholders and not only one group of stakeholders.”***
>
> **Best,
> Deborah  **
>
>
>
> Deborah Brown
>
> **
>
> Senior Policy Analyst****
>
> Access | AccessNow.org <http://accessnow.org/>****
>
> E. deborah at accessnow.org****
>
> @deblebrown****
>
> PGP 0x5EB4727D
>
>
>
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