[bestbits] Report on Best Bits meeting at UNESCO WSIS plus 10 Paris February 2013

[Kevin Bankston]

Hi Andrew--

Thank you so much for this comprehensive report out.  Emma and I regret that we weren't able to join you all this time but we are glad that Matthew could, and we all look forward to CDT's continuing participation in Best Bits in whatever capacity we can be most useful.

Best,
Kevin
____________________________________
Kevin S. Bankston
Senior Counsel and Free Expression Director
Center for Democracy & Technology
1634 I St NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
202.407.8834 direct
202.637.0968 fax
kbankston at cdt.org

Follow CDT on Twitter at @cendemtech

On Mar 1, 2013, at 6:49 AM, Andrew Puddephatt wrote:

> At the UNESCO WSIS plus 10 meeting we had an informal gathering of those Best Bits (BB) participants who were present at the event – about 25 people in total.  We took the opportunity to review the usefulness of the Best Bits process and arrived at the following consensus about the potential roles for BB:
> ·         To convene a BB regular forum before major international events such as the ITU, IGF etc. to provide an opportunity to share information and develop co-ordinated CS positions on those events;
> ·         The emphasis of BB should be to convene to take action which means identifying, where possible, common CS positions and acting upon them as we did at the WCIT;  BB is therefore different to more discussion based forums  such as the IG caucus;
> ·         This will require some degree of organisation. Though specific events can be organised by the relevant groups on the ground (APC offered to organise the pre-Bali IGF BB event) there are a number of tasks that need to be carried out if the network to function.  These include - maintaining the website as an information source about activities; developing a wiki calendar of events that allows BB to share details of who’s going to what meetings; using the website to report back to the wider BB community on positions and actions taken, so strengthening our own accountability and transparency; maintaining the e-mail list and processing new people who want to join as well deregistering those who want to leave.
> ·         People have offered to take on different tasks (Access, Global Voices, APC etc.). Global  Partners are already developing a calendar of events that could be the basis of a wiki on the website allowing people to signify events they are attending.   Jeremy Malcolm from CI has indicated that he is willing to maintain the web and mailing list; Deborah from Access has also offered to help – any other offers please let me know;
>  
> 5.      At the BB official workshop we discussed a paper from Jeremy Malcolm looking at issues of internet governance.  It analysed the deficiencies of the current internet governance model as well as suggesting a way forward.  The overall conclusions of the formal discussion were:
> We highlighted our concerns that current internet governance mechanisms are deficient. For example, they are unable to successfully address inequalities in internet access, threats to data privacy and network neutrality.
> Participants acknowledged that governments do have a legitimate role to play in internet governance, for example in the areas outlined above.
> In this context, we felt that the best way forward is to develop and grow the IGF by, for example, enabling the IGF to issue soft law in the form of recommendations or declarations.
> Alongside enhancing the IGF it is essential that we address  current accountability and transparency deficiencies of the IGF.
> Clearly there are many issues here that need further discussion. To that end we suggest that Jeremy’s paper is circulated on the BB list and discussed with the goal of arriving at an agreed CS position at the Bali IGF BB event.
>  
> In the informal meeting an new initiative called the  “Web we want” was mentioned, initiated at a meeting in the Berkman Center in the US, with the support of Tim Berners-Lee.  This initiative hopes to set out what kind of internet we would like to see being built over the next period of time.   There was some concern expressed at the proliferation of initiatives but in the end we suggested we incorporate it as one of the themes for discussion in the run up to Bali alongside the issue of governance.   So if BB participants are happy the meeting in Bali would have two purposes:  to agree a CSO position on governance and a CS position on the web we want.
>  
> In the meantime a calendar of events will be set up on the BB website so that we can indicate who is attending forthcoming meetings of the ITU and CSTD etc. so that we can consult online about strategy and  tactics as will as co-ordinate our advocacy while at the meetings.
>  
>  
> Andrew Puddephatt, Director      
> Global Partners & Associates
>  
> Direct: +44 (0)20 7549 0336
> Office: +44 (0)20 7549 0350
> Mobile: +44 (0)771 339 9597
> Email: andrew at global-partners.co.uk
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>  
> www.global-partners.co.uk
>  

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