[governance] Way forward

Vittorio Bertola vb at bertola.eu.org
Thu Nov 17 03:51:20 EST 2005


Izumi AIZU ha scritto:
> One of the items we need to discuss and decide today, tomorrow
> and onwards is the "way forward", I hope that most of us will agree with.
> 
> Now that "Internet Governance Forum" is agreed to setup sometime
> next year, I also hope that most of us will also agree that
> we should continue our work as (CS) Internet Governance Caucus.

Just a preliminary note, as I will only be able to join the Caucus 
meeting after it's already started.

I think that if this caucus wants to continue, then it needs to 
formalize some processes a bit, so that they can ensure the very same 
transparency, democracy, openness and accountability that we ask to 
everyone else. It also needs to ensure that all positions are duly and 
properly taken into account and consensus is measured before being called.

This kind of "laundry work" has been repeatedly suggested to us in 
public by all our interlocutors - specifically governmental people 
ranging from Norway to Cuba - as a precondition for our continued 
participation in the process.

If, on the other hand, a group of like-minded people wants to find a way 
to push their specific ideas without being obstructed by slow democratic 
processes and by dissent, then I would suggest they form a coalition, a 
campaign, a group - anything but a caucus.

At the same time, it is clear to me that the second form cannot 
legitimately claim to play any "civil society representation" role, 
including participation in the Forum and other structures as, say, the 
civil society equivalent of the CCBI - something that, on the other 
hand, could be legitimately done by the first form.

I do not necessarily have a preference for either of the two, but I 
think it's time we clarify our minds on whether this is a neutral 
container for all civil society participants to IG processes, or an 
advocacy group for specific positions and views. You can't be both at 
the same time.
-- 
vb.             [Vittorio Bertola - v.bertola [a] bertola.eu.org]<-----
http://bertola.eu.org/  <- Prima o poi...
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