[governance] Themes for the coming IGFs

[Parminder]

Hi All

 

Thanks Jeanette for starting a discussion on the next year's themes. The
caucus has never been so pro-active before  :- ) .

 

To give a background to those who may not have kept track, some civil
society actors including the IGC had started to propose 'rights based
approach to IG' as 2009 IGF's main themes a couple of months back. These
actors also made 'official' contributions to the IGF process on this issue.
IGC's contributions to the September consultations and to the IGF 2008
synthesis paper ( see
http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/sec_papers_08/IGF.SynthesisPaper.Final.30.10.
2008.pdf ) speaks of this issue.  Some other contributions to the synthesis
paper also raise this issue. Consequently, a 'rights based approach to IG'
figures prominently in the IGF 2008's synthesis paper, which is supposed to
be the official conference paper. Unfortunately, neither do the organizers
give much prominence to the paper, nor, it appears, most participants take
real note of it. However, it remains a fact that this paper is an important
part of official proceedings of the IGF. 

 

Many civil society actors spoke about a 'rights based approach to IG' during
the 2008 IGF, a few of them specifically calling it to be made as the theme
for IGF 2009. One of the two opening session statement by civil society
participant mentions this issue, as does the sole civil society statement at
the closing session. 

 

The dynamic coalition on gender read out a statement asking for the main
theme of the next IGF to be 'a rights based approach to IG'. This issue was
also raised by many interventions in the main sessions and at a couple of
dynamic coalition meetings and other workshops. As you would have noticed
from an email sent out before the IGC @ IGF meeting, and as pointed out by
Jeanette and Ralf, the IGC members meeting at the IGF also discussed this
issue and there was wide support for this to be the central theme for the
IGF 2009. 

 

In this context, I will like to draw the members attention to Council of
Europe's submission to the IGF Hyderabad  -  'Internet - a critical resource
for all' ( see http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/contributions  and
also enclosed )  which I quote:

 

"The Council of Europe provides state and non-state actors with co-operation
platforms, legal standards and public policy and practical tools which fit
well the current transition towards a more definite rights and
people-centred Internet governance approach."

 

So, we have other actors speaking about a 'rights centered approach to IG'. 

 

As Natasha says, supported by Valeria, we must now take a strategic approach
to pushing for this theme to be adopted for IGF 2009. A strategic approach,
in my view, will perhaps require both a tactical campaign like approach
mixed with tactical caution on some aspects, with a view of maximizing the
chance of getting the proposed as the main theme for IGF 2009 .  Most
importantly, it will require building connections with some key actors who
could be brought over to support this proposal. As per the above CoE
document some European governments may do so. But we will need to broaden
support to include some key Southern actors as well.

 

Parminder 

 

 

 

 

 

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