[governance] ITU statement last call

[William Drake]

Hi,

Having shifted from an individual to group statement, I can't help thinking this would be more effective if there was more of a group associated with it.   Twelve names is ok, but more would be merrier.  I will submit it when I wake up tomorrow morning, if anyone else wants to join please let me know privately before then.

Thanks

Bill



Statement by members of the WSIS-civil society Internet Governance Caucus

 

Submitted for the WG-WSIS ITU Reform Meeting

1 February 2006

 

 

The WSIS Principles state that Internet governance should be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations.  The ITU clearly does not meet the last criteria.  For the overwhelming majority of civil society organizations and individual academics, the barriers to becoming a sector member or even an associate are simply too high to overcome.  In parallel, there are no options for participating on a more flexible, ad hoc basis in special workshops and seminars, or in the assemblies and conferences.  In consequence, and unlike other UN agencies, true NGOs (as opposed to hybrid business/user/technical organizations) are almost entirely absent and alienated from the ITU.   That this is not in the ITU’s own interest was demonstrated by the WSIS process, in which civil society opposed the ITU playing an expanded, leading role in Internet governance.  

 

With WSIS follow-up and implementation efforts forthcoming, now would be a particularly appropriate time to make opening up to civil society a central element of ITU reform.  Doing so would not in any way disrupt the work of the Union, and the administrative cost would be negligible (we can print our own documents, etc).  The ITU would not face a stampede of hundreds of organizations seeking to participate in ongoing study group work on frequency propagation, signaling requirements and protocols, and other technical matters.  A much more likely scenario would be that a manageable number of NGOs and academics would seek to participate in some of the above-mentioned workshops, seminars, assemblies and conferences.  Civil society experts contributed significantly to the success of the February 2004 workshop on Internet governance, and there is every reason to believe that same constructive engagement would ensue in other forums.  Allowing civil society participation in events like the March 2006 meeting on NGN policies would be a good first step, and would not require changes to the Constitution and Convention.  WSIS and/or ECOSOC accreditation would seem sufficient for this purpose.

 

It is unfortunate that the ITU’s February 1 reform meeting is closed to civil society participation.  Our exclusion from this and similar events has been debated extensively on civil society Internet listservs.  There was little enthusiasm for the website’s cheery invitation to “be part of it” by submitting statements in this “open forum” for a meeting from which we are barred.  If however the ITU were to initiate a genuine, open and inclusive dialogue on the matter, the response would be much more supportive.  

 

 

Dr. William Drake               

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility/

Graduate Institute for International Studies, Geneva

 

Dr. Wolfgang Kleinwächter    

University of Aarhus

 

McTim                                           

Internet Infrastructure Consultant

 

Dr. Lee McKnight                  

Syracuse University/Internet Governance Project

 

Parminder Jeet Singh                

IT for Change

 

Dr. Jeanette Hofmann          

Social Science Research Center, Berlin

 

Avri Doria                                         

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility/     

Nomadic Women's ICT Network

 

Robert Guerra                          

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility/

Privaterra

 

Dr. Ralf Bendrath                      

www.worldsummit2005.org

 

Max Senges                             

Committee for a Democratic United Nations

 

Veni Markovski                    

Internet Society, Bulgaria

 

Karen Banks                            

Association for Progressive Communications
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