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

Anja Kovacs anja at cis-india.org
Sat Aug 15 16:01:11 EDT 2009


Dear Charity,

Thank you very much for reaffirming your support to this issue.
However, I will need to send this to the IGF Secretariat within another
ten hours or so - do you think this is sufficient time for you to check
with your colleagues whether you want to extend institutional support,
or shall I only add your name at the moment (with or without your
organisational affiliation, as you prefer)? Do let me know how to
proceed.

Best wishes,
Anja

On Sat, 2009-08-15 at 14:53 -0500, Charity Gamboa wrote:
> Anja,
> 
> ISOC Philippines Chapter previously sent a statement last May to the
> OC, through our Internet Governance Working Group that I chair, and
> read by Ginger, supporting Internet Rights and Principles as the theme
> for this year's IGF. So any concern on making Internet Rights and
> Principles in the IGF agenda, will  have my support. I can also bring
> this up with a consensus again with my colleagues in ISOC PH and we
> may support it also as a group. 
> 
> Just for your FYI, here is the first paragraph of the statement we
> sent to the IGF Secretariat during the second OC:
> 
> "The newly rejuvenated ISOC chapter of the Philippines would like to
> emphasize our interest for Internet Rights and Principles as a major
> theme for the IGF 2009. We address this theme with great support, as
> it is currently a vital and emerging topic for Internet Governance.
> This support is in line with ISOC Philippine’s upholding the spirit of
> core values that guide our policy work in our ability to connect, to
> speak, to innovate, to share, to choose , and to trust."
> 
> Thank you for not giving up on this.
> 
> Kindest regards.
> Charity G. Embley
> ISOC PH IGWG Chair
> 
> On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 4:16 AM, Anja Kovacs <anja at cis-india.org>
> wrote:
>         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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>         > >
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>         > >
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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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>         > >
>         Dr. Anja Kovacs
>         Fellow
>         Centre for Internet and Society
>         T: +91 80 4092 6283
>         www.cis-india.org
>         
>         ____________________________________________________________
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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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