[governance] The proposal for closing Bestbits and merging with IGC + next steps (was "Follow-on from survey on the future of Bestbits: next steps")

[Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro" (via governance Mailing List]

The IGC usually takes a poll led by elected co-coordinators to determine
consensus. If post discussion and debate, consensusnis reached to merge
then by all means.

Nobody speaks for the IGC unless there is consensus, if you want to change
the Charter, then there is a process to follow. It is meant to protect us.
Members of Best Bits are members of the IGC anyway unless they left or
unsubscribed.

One of the challenges, I have seen is the loss of important IGC data from
the old servers. Every organsiation has to evolve, advance but this has to
be based on consensus, and papers for and against, proper discussion and
debate. From the outset, all I have seen is a presumption where the IGC has
been forcibly roped into discussing mergers without the consensus.

The co-coordinators have not set a strategic pathway for engagement in key
international fora as the IGC in the HLP session although I was to see
great geographical representation by some members of the IGC in the.forum
in their individual capacity.

I would also like to see the IGC working with the World Economic Forum etc
and participating in the UN New York meetings, although some members
participate in their organisational capacity. It is also significant that
UNDESA reviews the global SDG projects and has a
monitoring/evaluation/audit type role which it uses to review and report
back to the UNGA.

On another separate, note, whilst Arden (bless her heart), and others have
been royally pissed about making a dent in how global MNCs like Facebook
behave in crisis, these are not new issues as they are.similar to
historical discussion on the list about Brits imposing a temporary ban over
a certain radius of the London bombing just as the Egyptians and others
have done during times of national security. The Tech Accord which
represents the committment and negotiations between MNCs, Tech Giants and
some government reps as was shared by the former French Ambassador on Cyber
affairs and others, it is on a transcript at a main session from last year.

The most New Zealand can do is impose a law in New Zealand against these
giants.  Facebook's Mia in NZ who is based in the Sydney officer and global
public policy counterparts have alot of work on their hands.

One view is that the threat to freedom of expression (which the IGC has
always talked about is no respecter of whether you are from the East, West,
South, North. The principles are well established in International law and
Frank La Rue's report to the UN General Assembly which was endorsed is
relevant. On the other hand, threats that Jeremy Malcolm and others have
been raising on wordings and semantics on child pornography by a UN
Drafting.committee show an example of new and emergent threats.

Personally, even if Arden takes it to the UN, the UN is obliged and
mandated not to duplicate work that is already done and to this end, the UN
Secretary General's foresight in appointing the HLP and launching the
report is key as geopolitical tensions are further heightened. I have yet
to read the full HLP report, but if it is missing a FoX compoment, then a
letter to the Co-Chairs, the UN Secretary General.may the faster non
bureaucratic way to get traction.

What giants like Facebook would fear is being broken up for regulation!
Frankly Macron is hated in France just as Trump is hated in the US for
imposing taxes.

It would be great for the IGC to host and convene a panel to explore this.
I would recommend Bertrand from Internet Jurisdiction to co facilitate and
moderate a geographically diverse panel and a representative from the
Geneva Internet Platform. I know Bertrand is speaking at a European Court
of Human Rights with others.

We need to take a step back and reflect as a community how we want to
engage. We cannot be reactive and we have to stay ahead of the curve.

2.36am so best be getting back to bed.

Cheers,
Sala





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