[governance] Draft IGC letter pf protest on CSTD WG composition

[Izumi AIZU]

Dear list,
Here is the draft letter of protest on CSTD WG composition by IGC,
NOT the joint one which I sent earlier.

As I wrote earlier, it's been edited by the nominees for CSTD WG
for both substance and the tone/style.

I like to call for the consensus, will wait till the end
of Friday, Dec 10 working hours in Europe unless there is
a) good amount of support expressed earlier than that, and
b) urgent need (either positive or negative) arises earlier

Comments are all welcome, which will be taken into final
wording as much as possible.

best,

izumi

---------------------

Honourable Mme. Sherry Ayittey
Chairperson
UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development

His Exellency Mr. Frederic Riehl,
Vice Chairperson,
UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development


Dear Ms. Ayittey and Mr. Riehl,

Thank you for undertaking the IGF review process.

We have learned that the membership of the CSTD Working Group on IGF will
comprise Government representatives only and that no Civil Society, Private
Sector, or Technical Community members will be included. Since there is no
official announcement on this issue, we first of all seek a confirmation if
the above mentioned is indeed true.

In the unfortunate case that it has been so decided, we, the undersigned,
would like to express our strong concern about that decision which is
apparently in violation of the mandate given by the concerned ECOSOC
resolution,  for setting up the Working Group in an ‘open and inclusive
manner’. We understand that the same mandate is imminent to also be
communicated through a UN General Assembly resolution. We are unable to
identify “openness and inclusion” as underlying principles of the present
process of setting up the Working Group. The overall approach to this
important issue related to Internet Governance is also in violation of the
Tunis Agenda, paras 37, 72, 73, 76, 78, 80, 83, 97,105, and 108, both in
letter and spirit.

The process also clearly goes against the Chair’s Summary of Vilnius IGF
consultation and the Chair’s tentative road map indicates that the Working
Group will employ multi-stakeholder composition, modality and work method.

As the Chair’s Summary says:
*It was stressed by many participants that the multi-stakeholder character
and inclusive spirit and principles of the IGF have been successful and
should continue to guide the composition, modalities and working methods of
the CSTD Working Group on the IGF.

Thus, it was emphasised by a large number of interventions that it was
essential that the working Group be composed of a balanced number of
representatives from all stakeholders - governments, civil society and the
private sector.

A majority of stakeholders welcomed the Chair’s suggestion to use the model
of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG), which was set up in
the aftermath of the 2003 Geneva phase of WSIS “in an open and inclusive
manner”
*

In this context, we are very much concerned that the WG composition is not
in fact open and inclusive and that non-governmental stakeholders (civil
society, business and Internet technical community) will be excluded from
the WG membership altogether. Non-governmental stakeholders are critical to
the continued development and success of building the people-centered
Information Society. Their exclusion runs counter to WSIS principles
including that "The international management of the Internet should be
multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of
governments, the private sector, civil society and international
organizations.”

We do not understand why this regressive decision was suddenly made, but we
do request that this decision be reversed, even if that will require some
additional time.

We respectfully call for all government members with whom to date we have
acted as partners in pursuit of IGF improvement, to examine the possible
consequences of this perhaps hastily-considered proposal to the whole
ecology and future of Internet Governance which has been evolving in a
unique multistakeholder manner, and pursue an approach satisfactory to all
stakeholders.

We hope that we may have misunderstood the effect of this decision and that
our reaction is therefore misplaced. However if we are not mistaken, we fear
that the CSTD’s decision will lead not to the improvement, but rather, to
the regression and even destruction of the IGF and the trust that has been
built among  the stakeholders since WSIS.  A lack of meaningful
multistakeholder involvement will make IGF both ineffective and irrelevant,
and thwart attempts to further develop effective internet governance at this
crucial time.

We look forward to receiving your response at the earliest.

Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus
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