[governance] Going forward - Role of the governance caucus

[Jeanette Hofmann]

Hi Meryem, if I understand correctly,

you see two options for the caucus to move forward:

1. the caucus can stay as it is and try to give itself a structure
2. it could differentiate itself into smaller entities

The founding of the MMWG could be seen as a first step towards the 
second option. Other people could set up new working groups in the same 
manner. As far as I am concerned I would always choose a caucus or 
working group on Internet governance as my "home". The forum doesn't 
really change this preference. I guess this is true for many if not most 
of the active caucus members. This shouldn't be a problem for the other 
cs groups. After all, we are hardly able to speak on behalf of 
ourselves. There is certainly no danger that the caucus claims any 
authority beyond its members.
jeanette

Meryem Marzouki wrote:
> [Thought it's time to change the subject of this - promising... -  
> thread]
> 
> Le 2 mars 06 à 19:22, Milton Mueller a écrit :
> 
>> I see two roles for the Caucus going forward:
>>
>> 1. To serve as an "official" nominator of CS representatives to IGF  
>> structures
>> 2. To serve as a space for discussion of how CS would intervene in  
>> IGF processes.
> 
> This doesn't take into account a major change in post-wsis situation:  
> governance was one among the many WSIS identified issues before  
> Tunis, and CS was dealing with this issue almost only in the  
> framework of this caucus, which was fine. Now IGF is all about  
> internet governance and almost the only body where 'things can be  
> done' for CS, starting with framing a - more or less agreed -  
> understanding of 'internet governance'. This means that we'll face  
> the following alternative: either this caucus/mailing list becomes  
> the plenary or plenary-like space, or the whole CS @ WSIS should  
> reconsider its structuring, starting from caucuses.
> 
> I would favor the latter solution and, although this has not started  
> yet, as the human rights caucus co-chairs, I think Rikke and I should  
> propose to the HR caucus to discuss this issue: whether we should  
> stay as a caucus and try to have a say in the IGF process, what  
> should be our understanding of internet governance and the role of  
> IGF, etc. In other words, should the HR caucus develop more detailed  
> inputs on internet governance that what it did till now, i.e. stating  
> in a very general way that Internet governance should respect HR  
> standards. May I remind here that HR also include economic, social  
> and cultural rights, and the right to development, not only civil and  
> political rights..., and this has a lot to do with governance, in  
> this context with internet governance.
> 
> Obviously, this process could be undertaken by all caucuses. However,  
> the governance caucus is naturally facing a particular situation:  
> should it stay more or less as it is and play the two roles that you  
> see and describe here (while there is no reason that it serves as an  
> "official" nominator for the whole CS: I do understand what you mean,  
> but this would certainly be opposed by many CS people outside of this  
> caucus, I'm afraid), or should it consider that it has attracted a  
> huge number of people on this mailing list, from different  
> backgrounds, with different understandings of 'internet governance',  
> pushing various agendas, etc., and that it may be time to try  
> restructuring in coalitions (or caucuses if we want to keep this  
> terminology), either following different understandings of 'internet  
> governance', or by specific issues, or whatever criteria people and  
> organizations usually follow to coalesce.
> 
> This, I think, should be the most important discussion within CS, in  
> this caucus and elsewhere, and unfortunately I don't see it happening.
> 
> What do you people think ?
> 
> Meryem
> 
> 
> 
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