[governance] ZDNet: UN plans Internet governance amid outcry to defund ITU +

Adam Peake ajp at glocom.ac.jp
Wed Jan 16 13:59:22 EST 2013 

The US and UNESCO's an on/off kind of thing.  They don't fund, they
do, they don't.  Currently they don't
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/31/us-palestinians-unesco-usa-funding-idUSTRE79U5ED20111031>

UNESCO would be a good counter against the ITU's Internet policy
ambitions (but the ITU's much cheaper.)

Adam



On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 3:51 AM, Carlos A. Afonso <ca at cafonso.ca> wrote:
> Yes, they did and almost broke Unesco.
>
> --c.a.
>
>
> On 01/16/2013 04:15 PM, Nnenna wrote:
>>
>> +1.  The petition does not look like it will go anywhere.
>> Plus the USA does not have a "huge de-funding" influence on the ITU.
>>
>> Did the US not defund UNESCO some time ago?
>>
>> Just saying..
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>   From: Carlos A. Afonso <ca at cafonso.ca>
>> To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 6:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [governance] ZDNet: UN plans Internet governance amid outcry
>> to defund ITU +
>>
>> The Death Star petition might be more successful than the one trying to
>> defund the ITU :)
>>
>> --c.a.
>>
>> On 01/16/2013 03:44 PM, Robert Guerra wrote:
>>>
>>> Have to take the petitions with a grain of salt... A recent petition
>>> asked for the US to construct a Space based Star-wars type Death star...
>>>
>>>
>>> http://theweek.com/article/index/238746/the-white-houses-nerd-delighting-death-star-petition-response
>>>
>>> Anyone with an agenda and 25,000 signatures can elicit an official
>>> response from the White House's "We the People" website. This being the
>>> internet and all, requests naturally tilt toward the edges: A petition for
>>> President Obama's impeachment, federally legalized marijuana, secession
>>> appeals, and a nationalized Twinkie industry.
>>>
>>> Over the weekend, the White House indulged Star Wars fans by issuing an
>>> official response to a popular request — that the U.S. government begin
>>> construction on a Death Star to be completed by 2016. Total signatures
>>> amassed: 34,435.
>>>
>>>
>>> ....
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> R. Guerra
>>> Phone/Cell: +1 202-905-2081
>>> Twitter: twitter.com/netfreedom
>>> Email: rguerra at privaterra.org
>>>
>>> On 2013-01-16, at 12:27 PM, michael gurstein wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://www.zdnet.com/un-plans-internet-governance-amid-outcry-to-defund-itu-7000009882/
>>>> (with multiple links).
>>>>
>>>> UN plans Internet governance amid outcry to defund ITU
>>>>
>>>> Summary: U.N. telecom arm ITU coordinates new internet governance plans;
>>>> a petition demands ITU's U.S. funding stop, including donors Apple, Verizon,
>>>> Cisco and more.
>>>> Violet Blue
>>>>
>>>> By Violet Blue for Pulp Tech | January 16, 2013 -- 11:35 GMT (03:35 PST)
>>>>
>>>> A petition to de-fund the U.N.'s telecom arm emerges just as the ITU
>>>> readies to hammer out internet governance plans at the World
>>>> Telecommunication Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum
>>>> meetings in February and May 2013.
>>>>
>>>> The website De-fund the ITU surfaced on the January NANOG (North
>>>> American Network Operators' Group) email list.
>>>>
>>>> Its Whitehouse.gov petition De-fund the ITU demands the U.S. government
>>>> stop its financial contributions to the ITU.
>>>>
>>>> It comes after the ITU's recent attempt at internet governance and
>>>> monetization through tolls at its WCIT-12 summit in Dubai last month.
>>>>
>>>> The U.N. debacle prompted widespread internet outrage, an unprecedented
>>>> unanimous U.S. House of Representatives vote in opposition, and refusal from
>>>> 55 countries to sign the ITU's treaty.
>>>>
>>>> No matter - as usual, the ITU has its own plans.
>>>>
>>>> Five days ago ITU's Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré released the fourth
>>>> and final ITU/WTPF-13 report outlining groundwork for internet governance
>>>> (and internet regulatory topics) at upcoming meetings on February 6-8 and
>>>> May 14-16.
>>>>
>>>> Discussions at WTPF-13 will be based on this report and will serve as
>>>> the sole working document of the Forum.
>>>>
>>>> The ITU/WTPF-13 report explicitly includes the creation of "Global
>>>> Principles for the governance and use of the Internet" and resolving issues
>>>> pertaining to "use of Internet resources for purposes that are inconsistent
>>>> with international peace, stability and security."
>>>>
>>>> The Report explains the current multistakeholder model of internet
>>>> governance is "under discussion" and acknowledges that members Cisco, U.K.,
>>>> U.S., and ISOC view the current governance of the Internet as "sufficient."
>>>>
>>>> However, "with regards to international Internet-related public policy,
>>>> the role of one stakeholder – Governments – has not been allowed to evolve."
>>>>
>>>> For the Policy Forum, the ITU also has 64 "informal Experts" weighing
>>>> in.
>>>>
>>>> The "experts" are comprised mostly of Member State telecom
>>>> representatives (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, others), plus individuals
>>>> representing the interests and opinions of Verizon, Cisco Systems, British
>>>> Telecom, the FCC, The Internet Society, ARIN, ICANN, and PayPal.
>>>>
>>>> Who funds the ITU?
>>>>
>>>> The website promoting the petition, defundtheitu.org, provides details
>>>> and ITU funding summaries showing which countries contribute to the ITU and
>>>> the tech companies (Member Sectors) that provide millions to continue the
>>>> ITU (and its subgroups) respective missions.
>>>>
>>>> According to The ITU’s 2012-2015 membership roll and dues one
>>>> Contributory Unit is equivalent to CHF 318,000 (1 Swiss Franc equals $1.10).
>>>>
>>>> Currently the US pays 30 Contributory Units (nearly $11 million per
>>>> year) to the ITU as does Japan, making the two countries its top donors.
>>>> Other big contributors include Germany at 25 units, Italy: 15, Saudi Arabia:
>>>> 13, China: 12, UK: 10, Russia: 10.
>>>>
>>>> Member Sector donations contribute additional monies to ITU subgroups.
>>>> American Member Sector companies include Apple, AT&T, Cisco, Intel,
>>>> Motorola, Sprint, Verizon and many more.
>>>>
>>>> (Member Sector entities pay self-elected Contributory Units for ITU-T, R
>>>> and D participation currently set at one-tenth what Member States pay -
>>>> 31,800 Swiss Francs per "member" contributory unit per sector.)
>>>>
>>>> Financial support for ITU is also provided by the U.S. in that
>>>> international organizations - namely the ITU and its employees - are
>>>> exempted from U.S. Federal tax withholding (Exhibit 5.19.11-13:
>>>> International Organizations Exempt from Federal Withholding Requirements).
>>>>
>>>> WCIT-12 outrage, ITU duplicity, and aftermath
>>>>
>>>> One month ago the U.N.'s ITU held its World Conference on International
>>>> Telecommunications (WCIT-12) in Dubai, where Member States proposed
>>>> revisions to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) - to
>>>> expand jurisdiction over the Internet, such as creating pay-per-use tolls,
>>>> heightening surveillance, and to give nation states increased control over
>>>> the Internet.
>>>>
>>>> Global opposition created an epic backlash, fueled by the ITU's
>>>> insistence to keep conference documents from the public - despite ITU's
>>>> insistence its process was transparent.
>>>>
>>>> In response to ITU's secretive processes researchers at George Mason
>>>> University created WCITLeaks, a website that solicited and shared copies of
>>>> leaked WCIT/ITU documents.
>>>>
>>>> As WCIT-12 unfolded, leaked proposals revealed plans from Russia, China,
>>>> and similar regimes for an ITU-supported play at WCIT-12 to define the
>>>> internet as a system of government-controlled networks, among other deeply
>>>> disturbing intents.
>>>>
>>>> Democratic and free speech organizations joined internet giants in the
>>>> outcry, such as Google with its Take Action campaign, and the formation of
>>>> country blocs included the U.S., the European Parliament, Canada, Mexico and
>>>> more.
>>>>
>>>>        See also: U.N. readies for protests on eve of secret Internet
>>>> regulation treaty
>>>>
>>>> At WCIT conference end, the ITU went back on its specific promises that
>>>> the treaty would not be about the internet and would not be put to a vote.
>>>>
>>>> Eli Dourado is a co-founder of WCITLeaks and was a member of the US
>>>> delegation to WCIT-12. In Behind closed doors at the U.N.’s attempted
>>>> "takeover of the Internet" Dourado wrote,
>>>>
>>>>        The purpose of the meeting, claimed ITU Secretary-General
>>>> Hamadoun Touré, was simply to update the treaty that governs international
>>>> phone calls; it had last been revised in 1988, when most phone companies
>>>> were state-owned monopolies. Claims that the conference would implicate the
>>>> Internet were part of a misinformation campaign pursued by unnamed opponents
>>>> of the ITU, Touré said.
>>>>
>>>> Dourado described how the ITU forced its treaty agreement with a vote
>>>> that it insisted was not a vote:
>>>>
>>>>        (...) What followed was surreal. The Chairman calmly said that he
>>>> had a long list of countries wishing to speak, and that in lieu of going
>>>> through the list, he was going to take the “feel of the room” by asking
>>>> countries to hold up their voting boards if they supported the resolution as
>>>> amended by the Secretary-General. After also asking for those against, the
>>>> Chairman said simply, “The majority is with having the resolution in.” After
>>>> some applause, he added, “Thank you. Now we can go to Corrigendum 2.”
>>>>
>>>>        There were immediate inquiries from the UK and Spain as to
>>>> whether we had just decided the issue by a vote. We had been promised, after
>>>> all, that there would be no votes, that all decisions would be decided by
>>>> consensus. In response to the UK’s inquiry, the Chairman replied, “The
>>>> majority agreed to adopt the resolution as amended.” In response to Spain’s,
>>>> the Chairman answered, “No, it was not a vote, and I was clear about it.
>>>> Thank you, Spain.”
>>>>
>>>> De-fund the ITU claims,
>>>>
>>>>        Their goal was a coup: to overthrow the open and transparent
>>>> system of Internet governance that ensures the Internet’s freedom and
>>>> accessibility, and replace it with their own central point of absolute
>>>> control, through which policies of censorship and repression could be
>>>> enacted.
>>>>
>>>> The U.S. and 54 countries revolted and refused to sign. This prompted
>>>> subsequent headlines that claimed the ITU had failed its attempt at an
>>>> Internet power-grab, and that the treaty was defeated.
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile, some the 89 signing countries hurried home to begin
>>>> implementation of the problematic new treaty.
>>>>
>>>> At The Internet Society's Post-WCIT Roundtable panel on December 21,
>>>> U.S. Ambassador Terry Kramer, head of Delegation WCIT-12, expressed serious
>>>> concern about what will happen as the 89 governments move toward treaty
>>>> implementation.
>>>>
>>>> Amb. Kramer unequivocally stated that, "the ITU needs to step back from
>>>> governance and content." He cautioned the room that America may have taken a
>>>> stand against the treaty, but that "the U.S. does not own the internet."
>>>>
>>>> Kramer said, "The internet must be left alone."
>>>>
>>>> If the De-Fund The ITU petition and movement is successful in the U.S.,
>>>> the ITU stands to lose 7.7% of its budget.
>>>>
>>>> It could indeed hurt the slippery organization, which has had to
>>>> increase the dollar amount of Contributory Units as membership and elected
>>>> contributions have dwindled over the past decade.
>>>>
>>>> And if Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré's ITU/WTPF-13 far-reaching
>>>> internet governance report is any indication, ITU needs the internet now
>>>> more than ever.
>>>>
>>>> One thing is certain: the internet does not need the ITU.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/de-fund-itu/mSJ49QcV?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
>>>>
>>>> Created: Jan 11, 2013
>>>> Issues: Budget and Taxes, Foreign Policy, Technology and
>>>> Telecommunications
>>>>
>>>> Signatures needed by February 10, 2013 to reach goal of 25,000
>>>> 24,709
>>>>
>>>> Total signatures on this petition
>>>> 291
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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>
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