[WSIS CS-Plenary] Challenging Sub-committee A drafting groups going into closed sessions

Sat Sep 24 08:51:56 BST 2005

Hi Laina,

As you are new to the process, I will try and clarify.

Our work in both sub-committees of the governmental negotiations now  
risks to be severely diminished by governments moving into closed  
drafting sessions, from which we are excluded.  Across the board,  
caucuses and activists I have talked to engaged in the process have  
expressed shock at this severe degradation in our rights to  
participate in the process, a practice that was established in Phase I.

Now that governments are at the "hard stuff" in the negotiations on  
internet governance, many of us feel this is not the time to kick  
civil society out of the room.  Indeed, they perhaps need us most now  
more than ever to break deadlocks and propose solutions.

The governments have chosen to upset all of our caucuses methods of  
work by their decision.  So the IG caucus has chosen, I believe  
rightly, to focus on challenging this procedural decision which  
affects all of our work across the board.

As Tracy Naughton, current chair of Content and Themes, explained,  
next week earliest we need to decide in Content and Themes whether we  
need to continue to input texts and speeches to a process that is  
becoming increasingly closed to us.  We may or may not decided to do  
so.  But right now we need to focus on keeping open the doors that  
are being slammed in our faces.

This of course does not precluded caucuses from continuing their own  
lobby and advocacy, which they are of course free always to do.  But  
when all of our rights of participation are at risk, we must drop  
everything and try and get this decision reversed.

More on the request for speakers question later...

Respectfully,

Rik Panganiban
CONGO

On Sep 24, 2005, at 3:34 AM, Laina Raveendran Greene wrote:

> Dear Rik,
>
> Thank you for letting usknow about this. Some of us are  
> experiencing a situation where this new method of working within  
> sub Comm A as the Internet Caucus group, leading to a an  
> "Insiders" (former WGIG members) and new comerswhich they seem  
> reluctant to invite into the circle. Not sure about the same for  
> SubCom B as I have given up on trying to be part of it given the  
> hours they work and style of working (I am sure no intentional part  
> on Betrand).
>
> I have a little concern here because as we run up the end of these  
> discussions, some of us where also not aware of this request for  
> speakers. If we stick to the SubCom A and B process of being the  
> only caucuses inputting into the debates, then many other caucuses  
> will get left behind. Can you kindly suggest how we can submit  
> names from our caucuses directly. Would CSB or the working methods  
> group do this? A little clarification on how working methods will  
> receive the names and how speakers will be suggested would  
> definitely help add a new level of openess that seems to be closed  
> now given that both SubComm are so focused only on negotiating  
> clear text that they feel are relevant rather than on how other  
> caucus feel may be relevant.
>
> If you need more clarifications on what I mean, I have discussd  
> this with TRacy and would appreciate some advise.
>
> Thanks,
> Laina
>
> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]  
> On Behalf Of Rik Panganiban
> Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 9:23 AM
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Cc: workingmethods at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] speaking slots for summit
>
> Actually, we have been discussing this subject at the Working  
> Methods Working Group for some time now, and plan to spend a good  
> part of next week on this. We plan to have a recommendation on how  
> to manage the selection process for the numerous slots to present  
> to plenary and the bureau asap.
>
> Rik Panganiban
> CONGO
>
> On Sep 24, 2005, at 2:36 AM, Robert Guerra wrote:
>
>> [Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the  
>> entire list. Kindly use individual addresses for responses  
>> intended for specific people]
>>
>> Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access automatic  
>> translation of this message!
>> _______________________________________
>>
>> again, i remind the plenary (as well as the bureau) of an item  
>> that I have mentioned - ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS - for the PAST  
>> MONTHS - that by EARLY OCT CS needs to develop and submit a list  
>> of specific names for high level panels and rountables that will  
>> take place at the summit.
>>
>> This issue of speakers was mentioned at the governmental bureau on  
>> friday. Specifically, the ITU SG (Itsumi) mentioned that the ITU  
>> at the moment is seeking recommendations from all stakeholders as  
>> well as governments on who could participate and speak at the events.
>>
>> CS was asked to identify speakers for a few months now. However,  
>> little to no action has been taken by CS in this regards. CS  
>> should take up the offer to suggest speakers. if not, we run the  
>> risk that the iTU and WSIS ES will identify speakers for us.
>>
>> let's move on this issue.
>>
>> --
>> Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org>
>> Director, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
>> WSIS Civil Society Bureau, Focal Point for North America & Europe
>> Tel +1 416 893 0377 Fax +1 416 893 0374
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Plenary mailing list
>> Plenary at wsis-cs.org
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>>
>
>
>
> ===============================================
> RIK PANGANIBAN Communications Coordinator
> Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United  
> Nations (CONGO)
> web: http://www.ngocongo.org
> email: rik.panganiban at ngocongo.org
> mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524
>
> * Information on the WSIS at http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis
> * Information on Millennium+5 at http://www.ngocongo.org/mdg
>

===============================================
RIK PANGANIBAN       Communications Coordinator
Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United  
Nations (CONGO)
web: http://www.ngocongo.org
email: rik.panganiban at ngocongo.org
mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524

* Information on the WSIS at http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis
* Information on Millennium+5 at http://www.ngocongo.org/mdg

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