[governance] Preparations for the next GAID Steering Committee meeting (NY, 19 September 2007)

Fri Sep 14 14:43:40 EDT 2007

Dear all, 

This is to remind you the up-coming GAID Steering Committee meeting taking
place in New York on 19 September 2007. As you know, Renate will participate
in this Steering Committee meeting, and we would be happy to forward your
view and feedback on some of the issues to be discussed, in particular:

- New focus themes of GAID to be included in the 2008 GAID Business Plan
(Connectivity and Financing for Development);

- Preparations for the GAID Strategy Council and Global Forum in 2008;

- Updates on the GAID Strategy Council and Steering Committee membership
renewal;

- Up dates on the GAID outreach and media strategy.

Business plan of GAID in 2008:

Proposed focus on Connectivity and access and Financing for ICT4D

The current proposal of the GAID Business Plan for 2008 is mainly to update
the 2007 Business Plan. Among the noticeable changes, it is proposed to add,
in addition to the existing focuses on Education, Health, Entrepreneurship
and Governance, a focus on:

- Connectivity and Access: this follows the agreement at the Santa Clara
meeting (February 2008) to have a stronger focus on Connectivity (in
particular in Africa). The Steering Committee will therefore discuss how
GAID should develop its activities in this area. (Fyi, the draft text to be
added in the 2008 Business Plan reads as follows: "It was decided at the
February 2007 meeting of the Steering Committee in Santa Clara, that, in
2008, significant attention will be paid to the topics of connectivity and
access, with special consideration given to Africa, with the intention of
taking a global view of connectivity issues in developing regions in the
following period"). 

- Innovative mechanisms for financing for ICT for Development: in the
context of the 5-year review of the UN Monterrey Conference on Financing for
Development, to be held in Doha (August 2008), such a GAID focus would help
to feed into the preparations of the Doha Review Conference. (Fyi, the draft
text to be added in the 2008 Business Plan reads as follows: "Specifically,
GAID could make an important contribution in the area of innovative
mechanisms of financing, including microfinance. Members may note that in
August 2008, a major conference - a five-year review of the Monterrey
Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) - will be held in Doha, Qatar.
Innovative mechanisms of financing will be one of the important issues on
the agenda, as significant initiatives in this area have been taken by
several countries as well as by other stakeholders. Some of these
initiatives also pertain to innovative financing mechanisms for ICT for
development. This issue will be a significant theme at the 2008 session of
the Strategy Council. The outcomes of these deliberations will be fed into
the preparations for the Doha review conference on FfD as a contribution of
GAID")

We would be happy to have some feedback from you on those two proposals,
based on the proposed inclusions to be included in the 2008 Business Plan.

Next Strategy Council and GAID Global Forum meeting (May 2008)

It is proposed that the next Strategy Council and Steering Committee meeting
will be held in Kuala Lumpur in May 2008, following an offer by the
Government of Malaysia. This would take place in conjunction with the World
Congress on Information Technology (WCIT).

Find attached the preliminary concept paper outlining the proposed format
and content of the two meetings. It was proposed in Santa Clara that the 2nd
GAID Global Forum in 2008 would focus on the issue of Connectivity.

We will of course stress the need to find financial support for a number of
grassroots NGO representatives to join these meetings. We will also call for
a needed coordination with the CSTD Secretariat and the Secretariats of
international organisations involved in WSIS implementation, to avoid
conflicting dates with the IS week in Geneva! 

Please send us some comments and feedback that could be forwarded to the
Steering Committee meetings.

Renewal of GAID Strategy Council and Steering Committee membership:

Postponement of the deadlines for new nominations

It seems that the various categories of stakeholder had difficulties to
reply to the GAID Secretariat summer call for candidates. Therefore, it is
currently proposed that the deadlines for nominations and consultations
within stakeholders' groups be extended until 30 November 2007.

This would give CS constituencies a chance to engage in a timely
self-selection process between now and 30 November. The new membership of
both the Steering Committee and the Strategy Council would be announced by
the UN SG in December this year and would enter in function in April 2008
(before the May 2008 proposed meetings).

Any comment on that?

Let me remind you here that the deadline for current members of the Strategy
Council to announce their interest to serve in the Council is 1 October
2007.

Progress Report:

Review the progress of Flagship Partnership Initiatives and Communities of
Expertise

The Steering Committee will consider looking at the work achieved by the
various GAID Communities of Expertise, and see whether some inactive CoEs
should be disconnected from GAID.

The GAID Steering Committee might at this stage consider only discontinuing
those CoEs having announced to the GAID Secretariat that they are not
willing or not able to continue their engagement.

GAID Media Strategy and Outreach

Find attached also a draft note on GAID outreach activities. 

We did not yet consider it, but would also be interested in getting your
feedback in this regard.

Feel free to ask us any question in this regard.

Attached documents:

            - Draft Agenda of the Steering Committee meeting.

            - Preliminary concept paper on the proposed next GAID Strategy
Council and Global Forum.

            - Draft note on GAID outreach activities

Sorry for the rather long message.

Philippe

Philippe Dam
CONGO - WSIS CS Secretariat 
11, Avenue de la Paix
CH-1202 Geneva
Tel: +41 22 301 1000
Fax: +41 22 301 2000
E-mail:  <mailto:wsis at ngocongo.org> wsis at ngocongo.org
Website:  <blocked::http://www.ngocongo.org> www.ngocongo.org 

The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international, membership association
that facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and
decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major objective is to ensure the
presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and United
Nations agencies on issues of global concern.  For more information see our
website at www.ngocongo.org <blocked::http://www.ngocongo.org/> 

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