[governance] Aug. 15 deadline for inputs on IGF 2009 agenda

Anja Kovacs anja at cis-india.org
Sat Aug 15 05:16:15 EDT 2009 

Dear Fouad,

As I already pointed out in my initial message on this issue, I am under
no illusion that this suggestion is going to be taken up by the IGF
Secretariat.  I am quite aware of what happened during the Open
Consultations (I watched most of the webcast at the time and reread the
whole transcript last week), and have some idea of what happened during
the MAG, through both formal and informal feedback.  I understand why
Internet Rights and Principles are not on the agenda - in fact if
Internet Rights and Principles would have become the theme of this IGF,
I would have been thrilled but also quite surprised.  

But none of that is the point here.  What is the point is that we, as
civil society members, have been repeatedly asking for attention for
this issue, and as long as this request is not heard, it is important to
continue to do so at every formal and informal occasion provided.  This
seems one such occasion to me.  Even if we understand why the Draft
Programme is what it is, this is hardly a reason not to keep up our
efforts at changing that agenda - if not with results right now, then
hopefully in the future.  The only agenda that will get harmed by not
raising our voices at every opportunity is our own.

Perhaps I should also add, in response to Carlton's message, here, that
I know there are others (though not me) who share his concerns.  One
point of getting Internet Rights and Principles on the IGF agenda is
precisely to get a space in a formal arena for different stakeholders to
trash such issues out. 

Anja

On Sat, 2009-08-15 at 13:38 +0500, Fouad Bajwa wrote:
> Hi Anja and rest of the members,
> 
> Thank you for sharing your concerns over the issue of Internet Rights
> and I must share with you that the concerns regarding this issue were
> well raised by the Civil Society stakeholders during the Open
> Consultations in May 2009 in Geneva as well as during the MAG meetings
> during the same period. I would recommend that you take an informed
> approach rather than a vague one. The IGC presented this issue during
> the Open Consultations and the transcript can be read at:
> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/content/article/71-transcripts-/410-transcript-of-the-13-may-open-consultations-
> 
> It is true that the IGF Secretariat did not take into account the two
> recommendations continuously requested throughout the three days by
> the Civil Society that are Internet Rights and the Internet Governance
> for Development IG4D Agenda. It was continuously requested to enable
> and ensure that Internet Rights in the context of the Universal
> Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Internet Rights Charter
> (APC) be taken into account but that matter didn't see the light of
> the day.
> 
> The broader themes of the main sessions enable the discourse and
> deliberate on various and/or multiple issues but not specifically
> focus on a core set of issues and devise principles for mutual
> assertion. You will also have to realize that the MAG lacks equal
> Civil Society representation and there are more Governments, Private
> Sector and Technical Community people to turn the tables on Internet
> Rights and the Internet Governance for Development agenda setting
> activities.
> 
> I am afraid that your request despite the input and support from this
> list will meet deaf years. I would suggest that you physically
> participate in the IGF planning meeting, open to all stakeholders
> being held in Geneva on 16-17 September 2009 taking place at the
> European Broadcasting Union offices as well as the IGF itself in
> Sharam this year and join the group of CS members that will be
> intervening on this issue with more strength.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Regards.
> --------------------------
> Fouad Bajwa
> @skBajwa
> Answering all your technology questions
> http://www.askbajwa.com
> http://twitter.com/fouadbajwa
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATVDW1tDZzA
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Anja Kovacs<anja at cis-india.org> wrote:
> > Thank you to all those who responded to my question.
> >
> > As time is indeed short, I would like to take up Ginger's suggestion, and
> > have drafted a brief statement, which you can find below.  If you and/or
> > your organisation would like to sign this, please let me know by the end of
> > today, 15 August (whatever your time zone), and I will make sure it reaches
> > the IGF Secretariat.
> >
> > Below the proposed statement, I have also pasted the statement that the IGC
> > submitted in April.  A few other submissions, made around that time by
> > various groups and individuals can be found here:
> > http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/discussionspace?func=view&catid=5&id=14
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Anja
> >
> > Suggested statement:
> >
> > The undersigned would like to express their surprise and disappointment that
> > Internet Rights and Principles was not retained as an item on the agenda of
> > the 2009 IGF in any way. Although this topic was suggested as a theme for
> > this year's IGF or for a main session by a range of actors during and in the
> > run-up to May's Open Consultations, this widespread support is not reflected
> > in the Draft Programme Paper, which does not include Internet Rights and
> > Principles even as a sub-topic of any of the main sessions. The WSIS
> > Declaration of Principles, 2003, and the Tunis Agenda, 2005, explicitly
> > reaffirmed the centrality of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to an
> > inclusive information society. To make these commitments meaningful, it is
> > of great importance that a beginning is made to explicitly building
> > understanding and consensus around the meaning of Internet Rights and
> > Principles at the earliest. We recommend that the Agenda of the 2009 IGF
> > provide the space to do so.
> >
> > IGC Submission - April 2009:
> >
> > The following statement is submitted on behalf of the Civil Society Internet
> > Governance Caucus.
> >
> > The Internet Governance Caucus continues to support "Internet Rights and
> > Principles" as a major theme for IGF-4 in Egypt. This should lead to
> > discourse at the IGF meetings moving towards the definition and
> > clarification of rights in relation to the Internet, and how they relate to
> > pre-existing definitions of human rights. It also includes a space for
> > discussions about the responsibilities of all parties.
> >
> > The concept of "rights" continues to stress the importance of openness and
> > universal access. This framework will continue to emphasize the importance
> > of access to knowledge and development in Internet governance, while adding
> > to it the basic right of individuals to access the content and applications
> > of their choice. This is in keeping with current debates regarding an “open
> > Internet”, and relevant aspects of the often confusing network neutrality
> > discussions.
> >
> > The inclusion of "principles" allows for wide discussion of the
> > responsibilities that the different stakeholders have to each other. It
> > allows for open examination of the principles that should govern the
> > Internet, particularly in its commercial facets.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, 2009-08-14 at 19:15 -0430, Ginger Paque wrote:
> >
> > Hi Anja,
> > I agree with your concern. However, I do not think there is time for the
> > list to reach consensus on a substantive statement.
> >
> > If you write a statement, could you post it to the list, so that those who
> > want to sign with you can email you directly, so you can add names before
> > you send it in?
> >
> > Best,
> > Ginger
> >
> > Anja Kovacs wrote:
> >
> > Dear all,
> >
> > As Ginger noted, tomorrow is the last day for comments on the Draft
> > Programme Paper. What continues to strike me as I read this paper is the
> > complete absence of attention for Internet rights and principles - in
> > fact the word 'rights' is not mentioned even once - despite Internet
> > rights and principles being raised as a theme or a topic for a main
> > session repeatedly by a range of players (including the IGC, the IRP DC
> > and the Gender DC) during and in the run-up to May's Open Consultations.
> > Although I realise that there is little chance of it being included as a
> > main session at this point, I think it is important for us to at least
> > comment on this glaring absence.  Would it be possible for the IGC to
> > express, by tomorrow, its disappointment in this regard? (we could use
> > some of the wording of the April submission)
> >
> > For those of you with whom I have had the pleasure to interact before, I
> > also would like to share that I have now joined the Centre for Internet
> > and Society, Bangalore.
> >
> > I look forward to continuing to engage with you all on Internet
> > Governance issues.
> >
> > Anja
> >
> >
> > Dr. Anja Kovacs
> > Fellow
> > Centre for Internet and Society
> > T: +91 80 4092 6283
> > www.cis-india.org
> >
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> > plain text document attachment (message-footer.txt)
> >
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> > Dr. Anja Kovacs
> > Fellow
> > Centre for Internet and Society
> > T: +91 80 4092 6283
> > www.cis-india.org
> > ____________________________________________________________
> > You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
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Dr. Anja Kovacs
Fellow
Centre for Internet and Society
T: +91 80 4092 6283
www.cis-india.org 

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