[governance] Remote Participation

Thu Feb 23 04:33:55 EST 2012

Dear All,

Firstly thank you Deirdre for copying it onto word and making it much
easier to incorporate the new feedback that we received from Schombe,
Jovan, Anriette, Jeremy, Roland, Mariela etc.

Whilst I am copying the text onto this email, I will also place it on the
Statement Workspace as well:

*STATEMENT BY THE CIVIL SOCIETY INTERNET GOVERNANCE CAUCUS ON REMOTE
PARTICIPATION*

We would like to acknowledge the excellent work that the Internet
Governance Forum Remote Participation Working Group have been doing over
the last five years. We appreciate the numerous hours of sacrifice and work
behind the scenes to build remote participation to what it is today.  We
have seen how whilst Technology is important, that it goes hand in hand
with extraordinary levels of sacrifice and commitment.  It is this
commitment that enables the spirit of the IGF which is in sharing,
dialogue, collaboration and ultimately access.

We are fortunate that the Internet Governance Forum Secretariat and UN DESA
are open .and committed to continued improvements to Remote Participation.
Each year the IGF RPWG commences its operations with training of remote
moderators many weeks ahead of the meeting, where they discuss with remote
hubs and encourage participation and liaise with the Secretariat to make
remote participation a reality.

We would like to reiterate and underscore that remote participation is a
crucial part of organizing the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and we
appreciate the effort to provide remote participation for the Open
Consultation, the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) meetings, and the
MAG meeting this month – February 2012 – which was opened to observers.

The IGC believes that Remote Participation (RP) should be an integral part
of Internet Governance and IGF Policy Processes. It is impossible to
sustain an inclusive global policy process without effective remote
participation. We would like to explore how we can assist in working
together to address the issues raised in 2008 by various stakeholders that
have yet to be addressed[1] <#_ftn1>.

The MAG and IGF Secretariats should start working with the host to ensure
that real time transcriptions are available for all sessions and not just
the Main Sessions.

We would like to commend the excellent work of the technical team from
Politecnico di Torino, (The Polytechnic University of Turin) which was
originally brought by our colleague and former IGC Civil Society
Coordinator Vittorio Bertola.

However, we would like to point out some difficulties that occurred with
the system during the open MAG meeting. On the third day, morning session,
(the second day of the open MAG meeting), remote observers were effectively
excluded because they had no access to live transcript.

 Also MAG members trying to participate online had difficulty in contacting
moderators, partly because the moderators were serving more than one
function.

We strongly urge MAG and IGF Secretariats and ourselves to consider the
following for the future IGF organizing work and the IGF itself, and work
together to bring them about:

·   Ensuring equal participation between online and offline participants
through planning meetings to give online and offline participants an equal
opportunity to participate and contribute to meetings.

·   Ensuring that there is sufficient capacity and appropriate bandwidth to
sustain remote participation by liaising with hosts well in advance to
enable greater interactions from offline participants.

·   Preparing a clear comprehensive guideline for remote participation and
its moderation and post session or meeting reporting for meeting hosts,
facilitators and chairs.

·   Clearly advertising opportunities for RP in advance of all meetings,
with clear guidance for participants on the opportunities to engage through
RP that will be available.

·Always assigning exclusive remote participation coordinator/moderators
(who do not have other jobs at the same time, and are responsible for
interactions between the meeting’s physical participants/current speaker,
the Chair and the remote participants).

·   Establishing a clear procedure that would encourage remote participants
to intervene. Such a system is desirable both for those physically present
in Geneva and those observing the meeting remotely.

·   Providing as much interactivity as possible by giving remote
participants to interact and engage in meetings.

·   Providing multiple methods – video, voice and text channel, as well as
real-time transcription and video streaming – of coverage of the meeting

·   Enabling the meeting and remote participation through interactive
presentations access through RP.

·   Creating a select Task force or Working Group created that has
representatives from the Government, Private Sector and Civil Society that
is dedicated to seeing improvements of Remote Participation and to ensure
the incorporation of critical elements that have been highlighted to ensure
improved remote participation processes.

Because only limited funds are available for face- to -face participation,
this issue is crucially important to all stakeholders from all
constituencies who are entitled to participate in the meetings, and who
wish to do so from a remote location. Meeting Chairs also play a central
role in creating a dynamic and inclusive environment that welcomes remote
participation.

We also encourage greater partnership between the governments and private
sector in enhancing remote participation.

We have to move beyond advocacy to listing and creating tangible outcomes
to make improved, stable and sustainable remote participation a reality.

There are regions around the world where transportation is extremely
expensive and one such region is the Pacific which has 22 countries and
territories. Remote participation was the only way that any of these
countries could access the IGF.

However there is room to improve processes and create an IGF culture where
remote participation is prioritised through exploring tested methodology.

 The appropriate technical solutions need also to be explored as well
bandwidth and ensuring that there is uninterrupted power supply and
redundancy options where backup generators are critical to maintain a
consistent and seamless flow. The MAG and IGF Secretariats should also
ensure that there is sufficient and dedicated bandwidth capacity to sustain
the volume of traffic from remote participation.

Aside from having the appropriate technical solutions and should also
include the following:-

·         Outreach.

·         Mapping local and regional stakeholders;

·         Coordinating with people on the ground significantly before the
IGF in a series of strategic roll out.

·         Creation of Guidelines for Meeting Chairs and Moderators whilst
noting the limitations.

·         Identifying how the private sector, civil society and governments
can be better involved in the remote hubs etc.

·         Encourage greater collaboration between the IGF RPWG and
national, sub regional and regional IGFs.

We also express our support of the IGF RPWG which published guidelines and
recommendations for remote participation and IGF 2011 WS-67 participants
prepared a draft of e-participation
principles<http://discuss.diplomacy.edu/e-participation/?p=1>
.

*Ends
 <http://discuss.diplomacy.edu/e-participation/?p=1>*

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

[1] <#_ftnref1> http://wiki.igf-online.net/wiki/IGF_Virtual_Community

On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 1:02 PM, Deirdre Williams <
williams.deirdre at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Sala,
> I have been unavoidably out of contact all day, and am just catching up
> with reading the messages.
> I am not clear which document you want me to send.
> I have attached a word copy of my response yesterday, although from
> reading the discussion that has perhaps been superseded during the
> discussions today?
> Please let me know as I would be delighted to help.
> De
>
>
> On 22 February 2012 14:15, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro <
> salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Deirdre,
>>
>> As you know our initial statement was used by the civil society component
>> of the CSTDWG as advised by Marilia.
>>
>> If you could please send it in a word document that would be super
>> helpful and easy to put up on the Statement Workspace. We will also be
>> sending our Statement to the IGF Secretariat.
>>
>> Kind Regards,
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>>
>> Tweeter: @SalanietaT
>> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
>> Cell: +679 998 2851
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> “The fundamental cure for poverty is not money but knowledge" Sir William
> Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
>

-- 
Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala

Tweeter: @SalanietaT
Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
Cell: +679 998 2851
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