[governance] WSIS principles and conferences

[Wolfgang Kleinwächter]

Bill is absolutely right.
 
After four years a "wsis/wgigism" there is an open window of opportunity. You heras this from OECD and ITU, as Bill has reported, but also from other intergovernmental organisations, from UNESCO to the new Human Rights Council. 
 
We will risk to miss the chance to make "history" if we are unable to bring our house in order.  Like it or not, the IGC is recognized across different constituencies as the "biggest brand" for CS involvment in IG. It was the Caucus who first proposed to create a global Internet Discussion platform, which now is the IGF. 
 
What we need is first of all two new coordinators/facilitators who organize and structure the discussion, push the debate foreward and can function as the link to other constituencies and groups .  
 
Where are the volunteers? Or where are the proposals?
 
Best
 
wolfgang

________________________________

Von: governance-bounces at lists.cpsr.org im Auftrag von William Drake
Gesendet: Fr 17.03.2006 14:28
An: Governance
Betreff: [governance] WSIS principles and conferences


Hi,
 
The presentations from the OECD Workshop on "The Future of the Internet", Paris, 8 March are now online at
www.oecd.org/document/5/0,2340,en_2649_34223_36169989_1_1_1_1,00.html
Following my presentation there arguing for application of the WSIS Principles (most notably, transparency and inclusion) to IG mechanisms and dialogues, inter alia through analysis by an IGF working group, I spoke with four secretariat people who expressed interest in receiving from CS a proposal on the matter that could be forwarded to OECD governments etc.  This parallels similar conversations that have been going on with the ITU secretariat, particularly since its February reform session (the ITU Council meets next month and could take up the issue).  As transparency and inclusion are arguably the clearest and most generalizable of the WSIS Principles that should be applied to IG, and these procedural issues have been the easiest common ground for the caucus, we really should do something to push this along now that some relevant institutions have become more receptive to the message than ever before.  We'd have to get our act together, not only on the relevant proposals!
 , but also on our internal processes regarding representation.  The OECD is concerned that if they establish a mechanism for CS participation, there will be a way to know that the people/orgs who might then be involved are acceptable and accountable to other CS actors, since this is the sort of corporatist model they follow with the private sector (BIAC) and unions (TUAC).  Which, I guess, brings us back to the open questions of what the caucus wants to be and how it will work going forward.  Hopefully we can add this to the growing list of items that need to be tackled; we've been asking for change for three years and key international organizations are now saying, tell us what you want and how it could be done.
 
On another note, I'm organizing my schedule and have listed some upcoming meetings I am or may be participating in and it occurred to me I might as well share it with fellow travelers in case people are interested in any of these, so FYI,
 
Bill
---------
 
March
 
23-24     ITU Next Generation Network Workshop www.itu.int/osg/spu/ngn/event-march-2006.phtml 

 

April

 

5-10     Telefonica Foundation Madrid

 

19-28   ITU Council

 

21-23   Access to Knowledge, Yale Law School http://islandia.law.yale.edu/isp/a2kconfmain.html 

 

May

 

2-5              Computers, Freedom and Privacy in DC    www.cfp2006.org/ 

 

9-11            ITU/UNESCO Global Symposium on Promoting the Multilingual Internet www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/multilingual/index.html 

 

12            UNESCO Consultation meeting on action line C8 "Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content" (Geneva)

 

15-16   ITU Cybersecurity workshop (probable)

 

17        ITU Info Soc Day

 

18        Commission on Science and Technology for Development/WSIS??

 

19                IGF consultation 

 

22-23   IGF Advisory Group

 

 

June

 

15-18      Joint ICA-IAMCR Symposium on Internet Governance in Dresden www.icahdq.org/events/conference/2006/PreconferenceInfo.htm#PC2 

 

19-23   ICA conference in Dresden www.icahdq.org/events/conference/2006/conf2006.asp 
 
 

*******************************************************
William J. Drake  drake at hei.unige.ch
Director, Project on the Information
  Revolution and Global Governance
  Graduate Institute for International Studies
  Geneva, Switzerland 
President, Computer Professionals for 
   Social Responsibility
http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake 
*******************************************************

 

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