[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [governance] MAG dictates rules and agenda for IGF?

[Carlos Afonso]

Caro Adam,

Adam Peake wrote:

> I'm a member of the MAG.
> I know that the Tunis Agenda called on the 
> secretary general to convene the IGF and the purpose of the MAG is to 
> help him do that.  I think the first detail any of us saw of what the 
> MAG was expected to do was in the press release announcing the launch of 
> the group <http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/sga1006.doc.htm>, 
> says our main task is "to prepare the substantive agenda and programme 
> for the first meeting of the Internet Governance Forum".  So it sounds 
> pretty much like we are to be a program committee.

This does not mean that MAG should fix what _specific themes_ should be 
discussed by the IGF -- this is a task for the IGF itself (and precisely 
this discussion should be part of the first meeting's program the MAG is 
supposed to propose), or we are somehow circumventing the WSIS 
decisions. It is a real surprise that MAG is proposing an agenda which 
leaves the ICANN-related issues out of the picture.

In my view, the MAG is taking its main task too far in one direction, 
introducing a content bias and, given the heavy presence of the ICANN 
system in its ranks, it clearly worries me and I am sure it worries a 
lot of other people (most of whom are usually not, or are never, 
debating in our lists, even when they are subscribed to it). The 
business community usually agrees with this confinement of themes, so I 
see no problem in saying what I said in my earlier message.

I think I was clear about it in my earlier msg. Rest assured the first 
meeting of the IGF will show very strong reactions to this 
"pre-framing", even if it looks "generic".

After all, why the rush? Let the first IGF meeting establish priorities 
and fine-tune methods and procedures, concentrate the MAG worries and 
energies in the building methods to ensure the IGF really is pluralist, 
transparent as as much representative of the many interest groups as 
possible, the ways in which it can advance under the recommendations of 
the WSIS resolutions and so on.

--c.a.