[WSIS CS-Plenary] Forum gets big wind in its sails

[William Drake]

Hi,

Pretty interesting session of SubCom 3 on the Forum.

Only speaker against the forum was Colombia, which sounded more unsure than opposed.

EU finally put down its marker and supported the forum, using language that is almost entirely consistent with ours.  Only partial exception was their statement that there should be a time limit on its mandate, a point on which we did not try to get agreement.

Other industrialized countries in agreement: Japan, Canada, and previously Switzerland and Norway.  Only USA has not taken a stand, but I think they will reluctantly agree in the end and get finicky over the precise details.

Most interesting was the shift in developing country approaches.

Brazil came out for the forum, stating that this should be separate from the oversight function, on which it would like to see a new Council. South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, all agreed.  Some of these previously had said informally that they don't want a forum, they want one body that does it all.  This is a change.   The question going forward is whether they will accept the forum when the industrialized countries say nyet to the Council.  Suspect they will.

Also supporting were Uruguay and Uganda.

Even CCBI is smelling the coffee and getting in the game.  Their first statement in the morning was to the effect that everything should be handled through existing bodies, don't need a new and duplicative body, etc.  Art's statement this time spun it differently: any new body must not threaten stability; must promote development; must be multistakeholder; and should be sensitive to financial and human resources.  Will look at texts in this light.

Believe this will happen.  We played a role in developing and pushing the idea and should view these developments accordingly, methinks.

Best,

Bill

*******************************************************
William J. Drake  wdrake at ictsd.ch
President, Computer Professionals for 
   Social Responsibility www.cpsr.org 
Senior Associate, International Centre for Trade
   and Sustainable Development www.ictsd.org 
   Geneva, Switzerland 
http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series
http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake 

Morality is the best of all devices for leading 

mankind by the nose.---Nietzsche
*******************************************************


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