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

[Charity Gamboa]

Text is clear enough for me to agree for the intended purpose. Thanks!

Regards,
Charity

On Wed, Dec 8, 2010 at 8:15 PM, Izumi AIZU <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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