AW: [governance] Internet G8 meeting

[Avri Doria]

Hi,

In general I support this, though would recommend some edits.  thanks for getting the discussion started.

some possible recommendation below.


On 8 May 2011, at 04:08, parminder wrote:

> Although there has been no further discussion on the list on this subject, I submit below some text for  a possible IGC statement to the G 8. Please comment and contribute.... parminder 
> 
> (proposed draft starts)
> 
> Basic courtesy stuff.....
> We understand that the French Presidency of the G8 proposes to hold a G8 Internet meeting, immediately prior to the G8 Summit in ........,with a view to prepare or influence the agenda for the G8 Summit regarding key global Internet issues. We also understand that many heads of states of G 8 countries are expected to attend this meeting. The meeting is especially important since in the past G 8 has set up the global agenda on many key issues, especially in the information society arena.

> We are very concerned about the manner in which the G 8 Internet meeting is being organised which flies in the face of all canons of public policy making and public deliberations.

Recommend substituting: 

"flies in the face of all canons of public policy making and public deliberations"

with something like:

"is ignoring current best practice in public policy making."

> It also jettisons the principle of multistakeholderism that has evolved globally, especially in the area of

Recommend substituting: 

> principle of multistakeholderism 

with 

principle of multistakeholder participation

> Internet governance. The proposed G 8 Internet meeting is being organised by large industry players and the invitations, other than to involved government actors, have also largely gone to big businesses. We hear that invitations to the meeting are also linked to contribution of funds for it.

Recommend substituting with something like:

It appears that the G8 meeting is organized by large Industry with access given only to industry and government actors.  We have also understood that there is a linkage between donations and invitations.

> Big business already have a disproportionately large influence on policy processes for them         to require a dedicated meeting with top G 8 leaders and officials to determine what should be the global agenda for Internet related policies.

Recommend substituting something like:

Big businesses already have a disproportionately large influence on government bureaucracies. For governments to sanction a dedicated meeting with top G8 leaders and officials to plan the global agenda for Internet related policies is inappropriate.


> On the contrary, what is required is an audience with public interest actors, or civil society actors, who will bring to the table the real concerns of the people and different sections of the society in this area.

Recommend substituting something like:

What is required is a discussion that includes civil society actors, who will bring to the table the concerns of global public interest derived from a diversity of people's, of many sections of society, interests and concerns. 


> We are afraid that the proposed meeting gives industry lobbying a brand new legitimate political image, which         is a dangerous trend for global Internet governance, and in fact, for global governance, in general.
 

Recommend dropping this.


> It is also pertinent to state here that since the Internet is essentially a global phenomenon, policies framed together by the most powerful nations, quite likely, will become the default global norm. This is most true for architectural and economic issues, while the global impact on other areas will also be substantial. It is therefore appropriate that G 8 countries engage with the same, and other issues, of Internet policies at the more democratic global forums where all countries are present at an equal footing. In this connection, there is the World Summit on the Information Society mandated set of processes for dealing with pressing global Internet related issues.


> Multistakeholderism is an important part of these global IG related processes.

Again recommend replacing Multistakeholderism with multistakeholder participation.

> We see the proposed G 8 Interent meeting a significant step backwards both for global democracy and for multistakeholderism.

Again recommend replacing Multistakeholderism with multistakeholder participation.

> We therefore request you, and other G 8 leaders, to make the proposed G 8 Internet meeting genuinely multistakeholder, following the model of the UN IGF. We are impressed with the solid support provided by the G 8 countries for upholding a multistakeholder model for the IGF.


> This makes it even more stark and unacceptable that the proposed G 8 meeting be held in the planned manner.

recommend replacing with something like:

The strong support that many of G8 countries, including your own, have shown for full multistakeholder participation makes this current decision to limit discussion to vested interests of governments' industry partners is baffling and is unacceptable to many of the users of the Internet.


> closing and salutations.....
> (ends)
> …....
> 
> …..................
> 
> On Thursday 05 May 2011 01:58 PM, Jeremy Malcolm wrote:
>> On Thu, 05 May 2011 14:43:18 +0700, Norbert Klein <nhklein at gmx.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Thanks to Wolfgang for this substantial report of history.
>> 
>> And thanks to Parminder for drawing the correct conclusion: Nobody else will do it, speak up and remind those who forget the history in this case, if Civil Society does not speak up, reminding the (present representatives of governments) that their predecessors achieved great things which they seem to forget.
>> 
>> How is this going to be organized? The major elements are in Wolfgang's write-up; it has to be mad short, focused on what what at the UN General Assembly setting the WSIS process on the way as multi-stakeholder, and the Tunis commitments also BY THE GOVERNMENTS PRESENT to the multi-stakeholder approach. And add some achievements since (which?).
>>  
>> There seems to be agreement that the IGC should respond (and I concur with this).  I would like to invite Wolfgang or Parminder to volunteer to write a first draft.  If they do not have time, I should be able to put something together as a draft based on their contributions to the list.
>> 
>>  
>> -- 
>> Dr Jeremy Malcolm
>> Project Coordinator 
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> 
> -- 
> Parminder Jeet Singh
> Executive Director
> IT for Change 
> NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations ECOSOC
> www.ITforChange.net
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