[governance] Very neutral statement on enhanced cooperation

[Jeremy Malcolm]

We haven't, by any means, had enough discussion on the table yet to be close to settling a statement on enhanced cooperation for the upcoming UNDEP consultation on that topic, due this month.  But since we made such noise about non-governmental stakeholders being excluded from that consultation, it would be a shame if in the end we had nothing to contribute.

So, to stimulate a bit more discussion, I've drafted a very neutral, uncontentious and short statement on enhanced cooperation that, based on your feedback, can hopefully be beefed up into something worth submitting on behalf of the IGC.  Here it is:

"The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (CS-IGC) is pleased to present its views on the process towards enhanced cooperation on international public policy issues relating to the Internet.  We do not have any detailed prescription of the form which this process should take, but rather we take this opportunity to make three simple points. 

First is that enhanced cooperation must encompass all Internet-related public policy issues, second that the existing arrangements of relevant organisations (including the Internet Governance Forum) do not adequately implement this ideal of enhanced cooperation, and finally that whatever new arrangements may be put in place, civil society will play an integral part in them.

These points will be explained in turn:

1. Although much of the discussion of enhanced cooperation at WSIS turned around the narrow issue of internationalising the oversight of Internet naming and numbering functions, the Tunis Agenda expresses this principle far more broadly to encompass all existing Internet governance arrangements (see particularly paras 58-60 and 69).

2. The IGF in its present form is a very important part of that process, in that its multi-stakeholder process can help to shape the decisions that are taken on Internet related public policy issues in other fora.  However the full realisation of enhanced cooperation will require a multi-stakeholder process to extend to those other fora also.

There are various options for enhancing multi-stakeholder cooperation within and amongst all relevant organisations, ranging from a new umbrella governance institution, to a more lightweight multi-stakeholder observatory process perhaps hosted under the auspices of the IGF (pursuant to its mandate in paragraph 72(i)).

3. Paragraph 71 of the Tunis Agenda makes very clear that civil society is an integral participant in the development of any process towards enhanced cooperation.  Therefore the IGC, in our capacity as members of civil society, looks forward to contributing constructively in transparent, accountable and democratic multi-stakeholder consultations towards this end."

-- 
Jeremy Malcolm
Project Coordinator
Consumers International
Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East
Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7726 1599

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