[governance] Draft IGC Workshop Proposal

[William Drake]

Hello,

Parminder has asked me to circulate a tweaked version of the original
proposal in the required format for discussion and possible adoption.  I
don¹t have much time this morning so the below is a quick first cut.
Parminder can manage the process from here...


1.  Provide a concise formulation for the proposed workshop theme.

Fulfilling the mandate of IGF

The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society mandates the IGF to perform the
following functions:

a)    Discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet
Governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security,
stability and development of the Internet;
b)    Facilitate discourse between bodies dealing with different
cross-cutting international public policies regarding the Internet and
discuss issues that do not fall within the scope of any existing body;
c)    Interface with appropriate inter-governmental organisations and other
institutions on matters under their purview;
d)    Facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, and in this
regard make full use of the expertise of the academic, scientific and
technical communities;
e)    Advise all stakeholders in proposing ways and means to accelerate the
availability and affordability of the Internet in the developing world;
f)    Strengthen and enhance the engagement of stakeholders in existing
and/or future Internet Governance mechanisms, particularly those from
developing countries;
g)    Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant
bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make recommendations;
h)    Contribute to capacity-building for Internet Governance in developing
countries, drawing fully on local sources of knowledge and expertise;
i)    Promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS
principles in Internet Governance processes;
j)    Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical Internet resources;
k)    Help to find solutions to the issues arising from the use and misuse
of the Internet, of particular concern to everyday users;
l)    Publish its proceedings.

Based on the experience of the Athens conference and the draft program
outline for the Rio conference, it could be argued that the IGF is
contributing to the realization of some of these objectives.  However, other
items in the list are more difficult to promote solely through annual
conferences comprising main sessions with panels of speakers and an
assortment of workshops.  Accordingly, it would be useful to have an open,
inclusive, positive and constructive dialogue about what additional steps,
if any, could be taken on a consensual, multistakeholder basis to help the
IGF community achieve the mandate.  To that end, the workshop would consider
such matters as:

A. The thinking behind the formulation of the mandate, which derives from
the WGIG Report and the discussions held during Prep-Com 3 of the WSIS Tunis
phase;
B. Whether some or all of the functions enumerated in the mandate are
important, value-adding, activities that are not being performed elsewhere,
would benefit the global community, and are uniquely suited to the IGF;
C. Operationally practical steps that could be pursued on a consensual,
multistakeholder basis by the IGF community in order to perform those
functions identified in B, above.


2. Provide the Name of the Organizer(s) of the workshop and their
Affiliation to various stakeholder groups. Describe how you will take
steps to adhere to the multi-stakeholder principle, including geographical
diversity.

The Internet Governance Caucus comprises a diverse range of individual and
organizational civil society actors who are committed to the promotion of
global public interest objectives in Internet governance decision-making.
The caucus was created in early 2003 and played a leading role on Internet
governance issues for the broad civil society coalition that participated in
the WSIS process.  Some of its members were early proponents of an IGF and
active participants in the WGIG, and in the current IGF Advisory Group. The
caucus strongly supported the WGIG¹s proposal of an IGF, as well as the
mandate given to it by the Tunis Agenda.

The caucus has many connections to all relevant stakeholder groups. For
example, a number of caucus members are employed in the private sector; and
many members, and indeed the caucus itself, have had productive
collaborative relationships with international organization, government, and
business representatives in the course of the WSIS and IGF processes, as
well as in other Internet governance-related contexts.

The caucus has every intention of organizing a multistakeholder panel of
speakers representing all groupings involved in the IGF and diverse range of
views on the subject matter.


3. Why do you think the proposed theme is important?

The theme concerns the purpose and possibilities of the IGF.
 

4. Describe the workshop¹s conformity with the Tunis Agenda in terms of
substance and the mandate of the IGF.

The proposed workshop is about the Tunis Agenda¹s mandate for the IGF.


5. Provide the Name and Affiliation of the panellists you are planning to
invite.

We will solicit speakers if the workshop is approved.  Again, the panel
would comprise known representatives from the international organization,
government, business, technical and administrative, and civil society
communities who are well informed about the mandate, have a diversity of
perspectives on the issues, and can engage in a constructive and collegial
dialogue.


6. Describe the main actors in the field. Have you approached them and asked
whether they would be willing to participate in proposed workshop?

See # 5, above.


7.  List similar events you have organized in the past.

Caucus members have organized many related panel discussions during the WSIS
process (including workshops on the nature and mandate of the then proposed
IGF), at the Athens conference, and elsewhere, and are involved in various
proposals for the Rio conference as well.
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