[bestbits] Roles and Responsibilities - CSTD working group on enhanced cooperation

[Adam Peake]

Dear Parminder,

To the best of my knowledge, no civil society entity has supported paragraph 35 of the Tunis Agenda (paragraph 49 Geneva Declaration of Principles.)  It was the position of the Civil Society Plenary in Tunis that this language was unacceptable.  To the best of my knowledge this position has not changed.  As recently as last week in Sao Paulo it was a matter that unified civil society: clearly we oppose paragraph 35.

So it was very surprising to read that you, as a representative of civil society on the CSTD working group on enhanced cooperation should support this language, and in doing so associate yourself with business, Iran, Saudi Arabia, among others.

Please retract your comment supporting the Tunis Agenda text on roles and responsibilities as copied below from the transcript.  You have time to do so before the WG finishes its meeting later today.  Paragraph 35 of the Tunis Agenda also below.

Please act immediately.

Thank you,

Adam


>>PARMINDER JEET SINGH: THANK YOU, CHAIR. MY COMMENTS GO IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE SPEAKER PREVIOUS TO ME, MARILYN, THAT IT SHOULD BE RETAINED, THIS PARTICULAR PHRASE OF OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND TO JUSTIFY IT, I MAY ADD THAT THE TUNIS AGENDA TALKS ABOUT THESE ROLES SPECIFICALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY MAKING AND NOT GENERALLY IN VARIOUS OTHER SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND ACTIVITIES ALL OF US GET INVOLVED IN. AND THIS PARAGRAPH ALSO ENDS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF ENHANCED COOPERATION WHICH IN MY AND MANY PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING IS SPECIFICALLY ONLY ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY MAKING. 
IT IS IN THIS REGARD, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, I HAVE CLARITY ABOUT WHAT IS THE ROLE OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS BEING QUITE DIFFERENT TO ONE ANOTHER AND I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT NON-GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS WOULD HAVE THE SAME ROLE IN DECISION-MAKING MAKING THAN GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS. THAT SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE AT A GLOBAL LEVEL. 
THERE IS A REASON FOR US TO INSIST ON IT BECAUSE I REMEMBER IN THE SECOND MEETING, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT PEOPLE ASKING FOR EQUAL ROLES AND ASKED WHETHER THEY REALLY ARE SEEKING AN EQUAL ROLE IN PUBLIC POLICY MAKING. I ASKED IT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVE WHO THEN RESPONDED TO SAID I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THEY SAY, YES, WE WANT TO AN EQUAL FOOTING OF DECISION-MAKING. THIS IS PART OF THE MEETING. IT IS THIS PART OF DEMOCRACY WHICH HAS ACUTELY BOTHERED US. I HAVE SAID THIS EARLIER. BUT I INSIST TO SAY THAT AGAIN BECAUSE THERE ARES INENCE ON -- THEIR INSISTENCE ON ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES COMES BACK AND AGAIN. FOR ME THAT IS IMPORTANT AND WE WOULD LIKE THAT PHRASE TO BE RETAINED. THANK YOU. 
>>CHAIR MAJOR: THANK YOU, PARMINDER. 

Tunis Agenda

35. We reaffirm that the management of the Internet encompasses both technical and public policy issues and should involve all stakeholders and relevant intergovernmental and international organizations. In this respect it is recognized that:
a) Policy authority for Internet-related public policy issues is the sovereign right of States. They have rights and responsibilities for international Internet-related public policy issues.
b) The private sector has had, and should continue to have, an important role in the development of the Internet, both in the technical and economic fields.
c) Civil society has also played an important role on Internet matters, especially at community level, and should continue to play such a role.
d) Intergovernmental organizations have had, and should continue to have, a facilitating role in the coordination of Internet-related public policy issues.
e) International organizations have also had and should continue to have an important role in the development of Internet-related technical standards and relevant policies.