[bestbits] [governance] Civil society transparency

Thu May 28 07:39:54 EDT 2015

Thanks Ian

Responding to the two issues you raise.

On Monday 25 May 2015 12:27 PM, Ian Peter wrote:
> Hi Parminder,
>  
> Two issues in response to your suggestion.
>  
> Firstly, the suggestion that CSCG do this. CSCG consists of five
> people who are pretty busy co-ordinating coalitions of CS
> organisations (BB, JNC, IGC, APC, NCSG) and myself as an independent
> chair. The role of CSCG is to ensure a co-ordinated civil society
> response and conduit when it comes to making civil society
> appointments to outside organisations.  It has no staff, no funding,
> not even a formal charter.  In order to address some of the issues it
> faces I have suggested from time to time  that the membership be
> expanded to include say 3 more respected civil society people who are
> not formal representatives of coalitions of CS organisations. The last
> time I suggested this it was met with some strongly worded negative
> responses from JNC and I have not heard of any change of position on
> this. So for these reasons I don’t think CSCG is the right
> organisation to take on this task. Perhaps IGC?

I suggested CSCG bec it has reps from major CS networks and so there was
a common ownership over what should be a commonly owned and directed
initiative so that there is scope of bias, and appropriate avenues of
recourse exist. I still think CSCG the right body for it, but IGC would
do as well. As for resources, let me make this blind offer, I will try
and raise resources for one person devoting her half/ quarter time, who
can be housed in a reputed org with a neutral image, for this purpose.
More resources are needed initially for setting it up, but once set up
it wont require much. I still do not know from where id seek resources
but I am confident that with so much funds coming into the IG space
someone somewhere would give a few thousand dollars for overall
transparency and accountability in the sector. That should address and
settle the resources argument in terms of my proposal.

>  
> Secondly, I wonder how it would work in CS which has so many people
> who are basically acting as individuals rather than representatives of
> organisations. Many if not most of us also have non CS affiliations
> (eg membership of ISOC, business or governmental employees if we are
> cs volunteers, academic postings etc) so the “pure” CS rep is probably
> a bit hard to find. I am not sure what we would gain by having a
> register of all our multiple affiliations which would need regular
> updating to be of any use.  I think we need to ensure our major
> coalitions (BB, JNC, IGC, APC, NCSG) act transparently, and by and
> large I think they do. But I am not sure of the value of extending
> this to what is probably tens of thousands of members or organisations
> affiliated with these larger groups.

Almost all CS transparency and accountability initiatives are focussed
on organisations and not individuals, bec of the obvious reasons that
the former have a greater role and impact. One  may not need such
processes for individuals, other than perhaps when any nominations or
appointments are being on behalf of civil society , in which case anyone
would agree  that some basic declarations should in any case be
necessary, and such simple and basic decelerations alone are what my
proposed initiative asks for. 

>  
> Over to others to discuss. I am not opposed to the suggestion that
> something be done in this area,  but I think we need to refine any
> such idea somewhat,

Please give suggestions.

> and if the aim is somehow to enhance CS credibility and transparency
> in this space, perhaps we should also discuss what other measures
> might also assist this.

And for this as well.

Thanks again. parminder
>  
> Ian Peter
>  
> *From:* parminder <mailto:parminder at itforchange.net>
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 24, 2015 3:31 PM
> *To:* Ian Peter <mailto:ian.peter at ianpeter.com> ;
> governance at lists.igcaucus.org <mailto:governance at lists.igcaucus.org> ;
> BestBitsList <mailto:bestbits at lists.bestbits.net> ;
> mailto:forum at justnetcoalition.org ; A general information sharing
> space for the APC Community. <mailto:apc.forum at lists.apc.org>
> *Subject:* [governance] Civil society transparency
>  
> Ian, and reps of civil society networks on the Civil Society
> Coordination Group (CSCG) ,
>
> I propose that CSCG sets up a civil society transparency project,
> somewhat on the lines of the EU Transparency Register, pl see
> http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister/public/homePage.do .
>
> It should in fact go beyond the EU initiative which is a general one
> for all lobbying groups, whereas we here are concerned with civil
> society which should set the highest example of transparency and
> accountability. The 'register' can have self filled information on
> objectives of an organisation, principles followed by it, if any, its
> funding, partners, and so on....
>
> This is at present just my proposal, but I hope one or more civil
> society networks in the IG space can own it and push it... CSCG would
> be well placed to run this project as a neutral space so that there is
> no accusation of bias that any such initiative is being employed for
> partisan purposes. In any case, a simple initiative for openness,
> transparency and accountability can hardly be partisan.
>
> The register can have optional higher level features whereby a group/
> org can declare its means of public accountability, whether and how
> its internal governance is done, how matters can be taken by with
> their oversight bodies, like board etc, and whether they have any
> means whereby they respond to public question on their work, etc.
>
> For such genuine cases where such transparency can harm an
> organisations work, or security, such organisations, and only such
> organisations, can be exempted employing a clear process and set of
> criteria.
>
> Remember, both the UN report on improvements to the IGF and the
> NetMundial Statement highlight the issue of transparency. I also
> recently read in these lists how we should make bridges with the
> OpenGov movement which is almost wholly about this one thing. Time we
> begin practising what we preach.
>
> I look forward to hear responses to this proposal..
>
> parminder
>
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