[WSIS CS-Plenary] Statement to today's Inter-Governmantal Bureau meeting with Civil Society Bureau

[Tracey Naughton]

Civil Society Discussion Points
Tunis Summit Preparations & the WSIS Implementation Phase

Presented at PrepCom 3, September 2005
to the WSIS Inter-Governmental Bureau

This note follows and builds on the document submitted to the Inter- 
Governmental Bureau, by the Civil Society Bureau, shortly after  
PrepCom 2. This note is framed within the mandate of the Civil  
Society Bureau which is to mange matters of logistics and procedures.  
Matters of content and themes are dealt with in the daily Content and  
Themes meeting of the civil society pleanary.


1.  Mutli-Stakholder Approach


We appreciate the interaction at Bureau level, which is enabled in  
the context of PrepComs, and hope this can be continued beyond the  
WSIS process, within the framework of any post WSIS mechanisms. We  
look forward to being informed of Government Bureau decisions and to  
future meaningful interaction.

Previously we requested active engagement in the decision thinking  
and decision making stages of preparation for the Summit. Although we  
acknowledge that our input has been received, considered and in  
several aspects, acted upon, we strongly submit that we have  
expertise and a complementary perspective that has not been fully  
realised through face-to-face participation. We reiterate this  
request and offer an assurance that Civil Society has the capacity to  
self organise appropriate and highly skilled representation in this  
regard.



Having said that, Civil Society is concerned that there is an erosion  
of commitment to the much-lauded multi-stakeholder approach for which  
WSIS has been acclaimed. Although the spirit remains in the WSIS  
process, we are concerned that it is gradually and subtly being  
eroded in practise and in texts. There is as yet, no clear commitment  
to its continuation within WSIS follow up. Multi-stakeholder process  
is a significant achievement within WSIS, and stands as a model for  
other UN negotiations. We ask the Inter-Governmental Bureau to  
promote it in WSIS related formats and more broadly as a mechanism  
for global governance.


2. Connectivity at WSIS, Tunis



Internet Access:



We appreciate that Internet access will be available at the Summit.  
Internet access is a basic tool of work for civil society, indeed for  
the Information and knowledge societies that we are constructing. The  
high cost of connectivity at the Geneva Summit was a severe  
impediment to the work of civil society. The travel and accommodation  
costs of participation for civil society members are already high and  
we ask for your support in ensuring that additional costs are minimised.


Virtual Participation and Meeting Spaces:


There is a high level of interest in virtual participation that we  
believe must be catered for. We reiterate our request for all key  
meetings and events to be organised to enable virtual participation  
by interested parties who will not be able to attend the Summit in  
person.


3. Documentation and Press Conferences



Press conferences:


We bring to your attention the allocation of daily press conference  
time at the Summit, for civil society. This is a very positive  
indication that different actors in the WSIS process are implementing  
the multi-stakeholder process and enabling a plurality of voices to  
express their diverse interpretations of information and knowledge  
societies. We commend the ITU Communications Department.


4. Final Summit Documents



Civil Society seeks Summit outcome documents that reflect the views  
of all parties to the negotiations. We recognise that any other  
outcome would diminish the climate of multi-stakeholder process. We  
note that some of our ideas have been included in texts to date, and  
will continue to seek a process that moves our input to impact. We  
have not taken a decision to develop a separate text. However, we  
still reserve the possibility, that should our input not be clearly  
reflected in a multi-stakeholder document, of issuing a separate  
document. In this event, we would like such a document to be  
appended, as in Phase 1 of WSIS, to the Summit Declaration.  
Additionally, in the event of a separate document from Civil Society  
being produced, we request a specific time to present this to the  
Government plenary at the Summit.



5. Financing of Civil Society



The matter of financing Civil Society participation needs to be  
planned and catered for with adequate time to prepare quality  
outcomes. Civil Society participants seek assistance in advance on  
two levels – that of fellowships for attendance and participation and  
for events and projects that will enable innovation in the exhibition  
and parallel event platforms. We ask that neutral institutions such  
as UN-NGLS distribute all funding for civil society.



In particular civil society requests information on the commitment by  
the Tunisian Government of 400,000 Dinars for civil society  
participation. We applaud this allocation but call for urgent  
information on how this fund will be used in relation to travel,  
accommodation and subsistence and how it will be announced and  
distributed. We understand this fund will be targeted to support  
participants from least developed countries and young people. We call  
for it to include support for people in developing nations,  
especially those who have been active in the WSIS process.



We call upon other governments to follow the lead of the Tunisian  
Government and make complementary allocations to civil society  
participation.



7. Regional Follow up to WSIS



We ask the Inter-governmental Bureau to call upon Governments to  
facilitate and support future regional Information and knowledge  
societies events that arise from the WSIS process. We ask that the  
right of freedom of assembly be ensured for such meetings, before,  
during and after the Tunis Summit.



8. Liaison with WSIS Executive Secretariat



Civil Society has additional items to raise that relate to the  
logistics of the Summit. These include matters of visas, document  
importation and immunity, which we understand will be covered by the  
host country agreement. We appreciate and acknowledge the positive co- 
operation between civil society and the Executive Secretariat and its  
commitment to informing civil society about the host country  
agreement, which it is anticipated, will be signed during PrepCom 3.  
In the light of this, these matters are not detailed in this document.



9. Conclusion

In conclusion, we thank you again for this forum and warmly welcome  
your response and feedback on both the matters in this note and on  
any other matters relating to civil society that you would wish to  
express.



Verbal presentation of above by Tracey Naughton, Chair of the Civil  
Society Bureau

PrepCom 3 September 20th, 2005 
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