[governance] CSTD Dec 17 meeting - IGC statement print

[Izumi AIZU]

Dear list,

I plan to distribute our statement with minor edit from the final
version, as below. As we already saw the consensus, this is
just to confirm. BUT if any friendly amendment is proposed,
I can try to put it there before I print them tomorrow evening.

Thanks,

izumi


Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) Statement
on the CSTD decision for the composition of the IGF Improvement WG
that goes against Mulitistakeholder Principle

17 December 2010

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
Improvement will comprise Government representatives only and that no
Civil Society, Private Sector, or Technical Community members will be
included.

Since it has already been announced, 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 significance 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.

The Internet Governance Caucus
Co-coordinators
Jeremy Malcolm < Jeremy at ciroap.org> and Izumi Aizu <iza at anr.org>
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