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

[Izumi AIZU]

Dear list,

There have been minor edit to the text.

"We are unable to identify “openness and inclusion” as underlying
principles of the present process of setting up the Working Group. "
has been changed to

"We feel that the process undertaken violates principles of “openness
and inclusion” which form the background to the entire IGF process. "

Also, as joint letter was already sent, this letter will be our own.
However, it would be nice if some Civil Society Organizations either endorse
this or send a separate letter to CSTD in the same spirit.

IF we see good support, I would like to send it later today, 5 pm CET,
which is about
midnight in Tokyo. I will include the names of CS organizations if you
indicate that
and put contact person info. If it takes time, we can add more and
bring and/or voice
them to the Dec 14 NYC and Dec 17 Geneva CSTD meetings.

Thank you,

izumi

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

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

His Excellency 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 feel that the process undertaken violates principles of
“openness and inclusion” which form the background to the entire IGF
process. 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
introduce a degree of delay in the overall process.

We respectfully call for all government members with whom we have to
date acted as partners in pursuit of IGF improvement, to examine the
possible consequences of this perhaps hastily-considered proposal. It
is our feeling that this action might negatively impact the current
ecology and future of Internet Governance which has been evolving in a
unique multistakeholder manner. We further ask that an approach be
pursued that is satisfactory to all stakeholders.

We hope that we may have misunderstood the signficance 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.

--

Signed by:

The Internet Governance Caucus
Many more to join
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