[WSIS CS-Plenary] UNICT TF => Global Alliance (WSIS side meeting, Feb. 21)

[William Drake]

Hi Karen,

(I'm having a problem posting to the governance list.  Could you please
forward this there?)

The UNICT Task Force is considering a follow-up mechanism for when the TF's
mandate has concluded.  The idea under discussion is to launch an open,
multistakeholder Global Alliance on ICT policy and development issues (there
are various proposals on the name, unresolved).  The secretariat held a
small brainstorming meeting in New York a few weeks ago at which we
developed various ideas on substance and modalities, and these and other
inputs are to be discussed next by the TF bureau  Feb 14.

There will be an open consultation meeting on the global alliance concept
during PrepCom 2.  The session will be Monday 21, from 10:00-13:00, I'm told
in in Salle XXI of the Palais (don't think it's on the website yet).  Amb.
Karklins has agreed to participate, and Mr. Ocampo may participate.  Civil
society people are very much encouraged to attend and weigh in on this.

Separately, since the UNICT meeting in Berlin, there has been some
discussion among a group of civil society and private sector people about
the potential value of some ongoing dialogue between the two sides on global
ICT policy matters in WSIS and beyond---clarifying areas of agreement and
disagreement, etc. on substantive and procedural/institutional matters.
This could be linked to the global alliance concept, or it could be a
separate activity; it's an entirely fluid concept at present, which was part
of why I suggested we might want to briefly address the general question of
follow up mechanisms in the meeting on the 15th.  Anyway, here too there's a
need for an open consultation to see what people think.   That is the lunch
meeting currently penciled in for 23rd.

Presumably, when both meetings are fully nailed down there will be formal
announcements, but since everyone's schedules are filling up it's good to
get these dates on the table now.

Cheers,

Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> From: karen banks [mailto:karenb at gn.apc.org]
> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 1:00 PM
> To: Governance
> Subject: RE: [governance] Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: WGIG - Caucuses
> meeting?
>
>
> bill
>
> >*A discussion of possible post-WGIG/WSIS institutional reforms/additions
> >that could address, on an open global multistakeholder basis, holistic
> >approaches and the horizontal institutional issues.  There will be a
> >meeting, probably on the 21st, on the proposed Global Alliance
> successor to
> >the UNICT TF, and there are various other ideas floating around about
> >reforms/new arrangements, the potential interrelationships of which are
> >unclear.  It might be useful to have at least a brief discussion on
> >strategic orientations toward such initiatives.
>
> as we're trying to confirm dates of second meeting, can you
> clarify re the
> above? is this different to the informal meeting proposed by
> ayesha between
> CS and CCBI now penciled for lunch on 23rd? can you send more details - i
> don't see it in posts around the global alliance..
>
> karen
>
>
>