[governance] Re: IGC questionnaire Q2 for review

[Ginger Paque]

Bill and Parminder thanks for your comments.

Taking into account Bill Drake's suggestions, and Parminder's comments 
on Q2, I propose the following text in place of the previous text for Q2 
as a compromise.  Please let me know what you think:

2. To what extent has the IGF embodied the WSIS principles?

The WSIS principles hold that Internet governance processes “should be 
multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of 
governments, the private sector, civil society and international 
organizations.” Governments invoked these principles throughout the WSIS 
process, and in the Tunis Agenda mandated the IGF to, “promote and 
assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS principles in 
Internet Governance processes.” Nevertheless, the IGF has not held any 
follow-up discussion on how to pursue this key element of its mandate. 
The Internet Governance Caucus has consistently advocated programmatic 
activity in this arena, and hence welcomes the Swiss government’s 
statement that implementation of the WSIS principles should be added as 
a cross-cutting issue at the core of all IGF discussions.

We suggest that a  process for the ongoing assessment and promotion of 
those principles within IG processes be established, per the Tunis 
Mandate. To that end we support the APC/COE/UNECE initiative "Towards a 
code of good practice on public participation in Internet governance - 
Building on the principles of WSIS and the Aarhus Convention" as a 
building block for such an effort.

A reading of the WSIS principles shows a clear emphasis on rights. Yet 
the IGF has side-tracked efforts to give rights and principles a 
significant emphasis in the meeting agenda, allowing a minority of 
voices to over-ride what is clearly a central obligation of the IGF.

The concept of "rights" should continue to stress the importance of 
openness and universal access. This framework must 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 "rights and 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.



William Drake wrote:
> Hi Ginger,
>
> The secretariat's questionnaire and the Tunis mandate refer 
> specifically to the WSIS principles on Internet governance, not the 
> entire Geneva Declaration of Principles on information societies 
> generally. As such, the text below is a total non sequitur that will 
> leave other parties wondering whether the IGC no longer understands 
> the negotiations it has participated in and the positions it has 
> advocated for the past seven years.  I oppose including such 
> language.  It would be preferable to build off of one of the relevant 
> statements on the matter that were laboriously negotiated and approved 
> back when more people were participating, but unfortunately we don't 
> have a complete archive and I don't have everything saved anymore.  
> However, I do see at least one text online that could be adapted, from 
> Feb. 2008, www.igcaucus.org/node/8
>
> [The WSIS principles hold that Internet governance processes “should 
> be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement 
> of governments, the private sector, civil society and international 
> organizations.” Governments invoked these principles throughout the 
> WSIS process, and in the Tunis Agenda mandated the IGF to, “promote 
> and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS principles in 
> Internet Governance processes.” Nevertheless, the IGF has not held any 
> follow-up discussion on how to pursue this key element of its mandate. 
> The Internet Governance Caucus has consistently advocated programmatic 
> activity in this arena, and hence welcomes the Swiss government’s 
> statement that implementation of the WSIS principles should be added 
> as a cross-cutting issue at the core of all IGF discussions. To help 
> kick-start that cross-cutting consideration, we propose that a main 
> session in Hyderabad concentrate on two WSIS principles of general 
> applicability for which progress in implementation can be most readily 
> assessed: transparency, and inclusive participation. The session could 
> consider patterns of practice across Internet governance mechanisms, 
> and identify generalizable lessons concerning good or best practices.]
>
> We could just delete "To help kick-start that cross-cutting 
> consideration, we propose that a main session in Hyderabad" and 
> suggest that a process for the ongoing assessment and promotion of 
> those principles within IG processes be established, per the Tunis 
> mandate.  Could also reference and support the APC/COE/UNECE 
> initiative as a building block for such an effort.
>
> If you want to re-pitch a rights framework, it would be better to do 
> so in under, "7. Do you have any other comments?"  In that context, it 
> might also be good to cite examples that pertain to global Internet 
> governance, rather than national policy (or alternatively, to contend 
> that relevant issues of national policy like universal access should 
> be subjects of GIG, although then presumably we'd have to say how).
>
> Best,
>
> Bill
>
> On Jul 12, 2009, at 3:15 PM, Ginger Paque wrote:
>
>> 2. To what extent has the IGF embodied the WSIS principles?
>>
>> Principle 1 of the WSIS principles states:* We, the representatives 
>> of the peoples of the world*, *assembled in Geneva from 10-12 
>> December 2003 for the first phase of the World Summit on the 
>> Information Society,* declare our common desire and commitment to 
>> build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented 
>> Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and 
>> share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities 
>> and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their 
>> sustainable development and improving their quality of life, premised 
>> on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations 
>> and respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human 
>> Rights.
>>
>> A reading of the WSIS principles shows a clear emphasis on Human 
>> Rights. Yet the IGF has side-tracked efforts to give rights and 
>> principles a significant emphasis in the meeting agenda, allowing a 
>> minority of voices to over-ride what is clearly a central obligation 
>> of the IGF.
>>
>> The concept of "rights" should continue to stress the importance of 
>> openness and universal access. This framework must 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 " rights and 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.
>>
>
>
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