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

Thu Dec 9 04:49:53 EST 2010

I agree with the text.

DLC

Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn
Associate Professor of International Relations
International Communication Program
School of International Service
American University

Director: Center for Research on Collaboratories and
Technology Enhanced Learning Communities (Cotelco)
http://cotelco.net

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 9, 2010, at 4:47 AM, "Louis Pouzin (well)" <pouzin at well.com<mailto:pouzin at well.com>> wrote:

I agree with this text.
- - -

On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 3:15 AM, Izumi AIZU <<mailto:iza at anr.org>iza at anr.org<mailto:iza at anr.org>> wrote:
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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