[CS Bureau] consultations on WSIS implementation
Viola Krebs
viola at icvolunteers.org
Wed Apr 27 09:51:25 BST 2005
Dear Tracey, dear Bertrand, dear all:
I support Bertrand's proposal. There is indeed a need for a longer and
much more inclusive meeting than what has been proposed by ITU for 2
May 2005.
Myself, I did get an invitation letter, but am actually unable to
attend the meeting because I will not be in Switzerland at that time.
Considering the short notice of the invitation, it has indeed not been
possible to reorganize schedules for a 3-hour consultation.
It might be worth mentioning in the letter to Karklins that CS has
started some thinking about the implementation process, but would like
to be able to prepare properly a meeting where ideas might be
exchanged and discussed with other stakeholders.
Kind regards,
Viola
>
>
> Dear Tracey, Dear all :
>
> This invitation raises concerns. All the more so that the
> issue is very important : implementation mechanisms
> for the WSIS Action Plan will be a key outcome of Tunis.
> Choices made will impact the "pecking order" of the
> international organizations dealing with Information Society
> issues (including the future of the ITU) but also will
> determine for many years the role of Civil society in these
> processes.
>
> MAJOR CONCERNS
>
> While we could welcome this apparent effort of openness from
> the ITU, the modalities and context of this invitation
> raise deep concerns.
>
> 1) this invitation emanates from the ITU and not from the
> President of the PrepCom;
> 2) it is a consultation held for a few hours, with les than
> three weeks notice, which means it is only accessible for
> people already in Geneva : no one will come from far away
> for a three hour meeting;
> 3) the consultation is intended to get "the views of a
> representative sample of WSIS stakeholders" (ie a
> predetermination of representativity) with a vague mention
> that the meeting is open and no indication on the
> participation of government representatives
> 4) nothing in the format indicates the type of interaction
> expected and the nature of the discussion : "reviewing
> comments" can mean a very open debate or a simple collation
> of successive interventions.
>
> In this context, there is a great risk for such a meeting to
> be a weak opportunity for civil society to be heard but be
> later identified during PrepCom3 as "consultations with
> civil society and private sector stakeholders", serving as
> an alibi for not holding other consultations.
>
> NOT UP TO THE TASK
>
> This is not the participatory process that civil society, in
> numerous interventions, has requested to address this
> essential topic.
>
> As early as July 2003, during the Paris intersessional
> meeting of the first phase, Civil Society outlined the need
> for multi-stakeholder consultations on this issue
> (translation form my intervention in french) :
>
> "Governments cannot implement the WSIS Plan of Action
> alone : active participation form civil society, the private
> sector and international organizations is essential.[] Any
> follow-up mechanism should be multi-stakeholder.[] But
> discussion on its structure and mandate can only be fruitful
> if it is conducted in a format that associates all
> categories of stakeholders, including civil society."
>
> After the long hibernation of the WSIS process in 2004, the
> issue has only been briefly addresssed during PrepCom2 last
> February. Again, in a Plenary intervention on February 21st,
> 2005, civil society has strongly reiterated its demands for
> a true multi-stakeholder interaction :
>
> "The ambitious Geneva Plan of Action cannot be implemented
> by governments alone : civil society and private sector
> engagement is indispensable; but these actors will only
> engage if they have been associated early on in the very
> definition of the mechanisms to be put in place in Tunis.
> []
> The period between now and PrepCom3 should not be wasted but
> used to conduct the open and inclusive consultations
> required by the importance of the issue. This should be done
> in a multi-stakeholder format, at the initiative of the
> PrepCom Chairman.
> []
> We reiterate our proposal – or should I say our strong
> request - for the rapid establishment, at the initiative of
> the PrepCom Chairman, of a structured dialogue among all
> stakeholders on this important issue."
>
> So far, 16 months after the Geneva Summit and less than six
> months before the key discussions of PrepCom3, the present
> ITU invitation seems unfortunately the only framework
> proposed to conduct this needed consultation. It is not up
> to the importance of the task.
>
> AN OCCASION TO REITERATE OUR REQUEST FOR A MORE STRUCTURED
> DEBATE
>
> This invitation was extended to Civil Society through the
> CSB. But the CSB cannot handle this issue alone, nor should
> only CSB members attend this meeting - we should distinguish
> process, participation and substance.
>
> On process, CSB is legitimate to take position. I have
> drafted two letters and your comments are welcome :
> - the first one to Yuri Grin, Chairman of the ITU
> WSIS Group, thanking him for the invitation but underling
> the various points above and CS demands for a more
> structured interaction (letter ccd to Amb Karklins, Charles
> Geiger and M. Utsumi)
> - the second one to Amb. Karklins, with similar content as
> above and requesting that an open consultation be held on
> the substance of the issue on the occasion of the next
> meeting of the WGIG in Geneva in June and on the occasion of
> the presentation of the WGIG report in July, in order to
> optimize travel costs for the CS actors who would like to
> participate.
>
> On participation, it is good that some CS actors can be
> there. (I probably won't be there) But it is important that
> they are not only from CSB. My suggestion is to circulate
> the invitation to the wider Plenary with the mention of the
> position taken by the CSB on procedure (and attached leeters
> if agreed). Interventions during this meeting should be
> focussing on principles, reiteration of the basic positions
> agreed so far and the request for more structured
> interaction.
>
> On substance, this meeting on May 2 is an opportunity to
> refine further the previous positions of Civil Society on
> follow-up and continue the discussion started at PrepCom2
> through the dedicated Working Group on Follow-up and
> Inmplementation that was created there. I will recirculate
> the existing draft positions and activate the followup
> mailing list.
>
> Attached : the two draft letters in a single Word file
>
> I hope you will find this useful. It is an important moment
> and CS should not be used as an alibi.
>
> Best
>
> Bertrand
>
>
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
> >Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 21:43:03 +0300
> >From: Tracey Naughton <tracey at traceynaughton.com>
> >Subject: [CS Bureau] consultations on WSIS implementation
> >To: bureau at wsis-cs.org
> >
> >Hello All
> >
> >I have received the attached invitation. Are any of the CSB
> members
> >nearer to the scene able to attend? There is no offer to
> support
> >participation which may mean limited participation from
> countries with
> >the greatest digital divide issues. That's a problem, but
> it would
> >still be great to have some CSB people there.
> >
> >Please let us know if you can participate, via this list.
> >
> >Tracey
> >
> >
> >________________
> >WG-WSIS consultations 2 May.doc 306k bytes
> >________________
> >
> >
> >Tracey Naughton
> >NYAKA
> >Communication for Development Consultant
> >201 Somerset Hall
> >239 Oxford Road
> >Illovo 2196
> >South Africa
> >
> >landline & fax: +27 (0) 11 880 5030
> >cell / mobile: +27 (0) 82 821 1771
> >email: tracey at traceynaughton.com
> >skype: tracey_naughton
>
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