[CS Bureau] PrepCom 3 - logistics planning proposal

[Ramin.Kaweh at unctad.org]

Dear Tracey and all,

(Second mail, since the first, long response that I had written, did 
somehow not go through. - My apologies for double-postings, if it did go 
through.)

Thank you for your comprehensive email and for initiating the logistics 
planning for PC-3.


General Comments:

My general comments are meant to encourage also those of you, and I 
believe there are a few at the CSB, who are members of the WG Working 
Methods,
to contribute their thoughts and ideas on the current issues, regarding 
the charters of the CS organs. Some of the points you mentioned in your 
logistics planning proposal, indeed, related to the working methods and 
the nature of the various CS organs (CS Plenary, C&T Group etc) and in the 
WGWM we are currently trying to draft respective Charters for these 
organs. So all of your input and ideas would be very welcomed and valued !

I am raising this issue, since your proposal below suggest some slight 
changes for the CSP and CTG. Although I believe that in the meantime there 
is an emerging consensus, based on the few comments that I read, I would 
like to argue that keeping both a CS Plenary and a CT Group, at this stage 
of the WSIS, would probably be the best option, and not to change their 
titles and names and nature, as this might create possibly some confusion, 
but instead to clearly mention their different mandates and objectives. 
Also, I would second the idea of trying to keep them to one hour, although 
they often pass that time limit.

Specific Comments:

* I think it would be a great idea to start preparing a Monitoring Group, 
and I would be happy to ask Jane Johnson directly (since I had planned to 
talk to her in any case soon) for her advice and/or possible lead on this.

* Also, yes, great idea, it would obviously be most useful to start 
drafting possible issues and agenda items for the CSB and the CSP, like 
the ones you mention (i.e. selection of speakers etc.). How do we move 
ahead best on this point?

Logistical Matters:

* Point 1.+2.
Keep a CSP in the morning and CTG in the evening, and keep a goal for a 
one hour meeting. We can prolong them, if necessary during PC-3.

* Point 3.
agree

* Point 4.
Happy to be in contact with Jane (and Viola) on this point.

* Point 5.
agree. Who should the CSB members send the possible items for the CSB 
agenda? I am happy to collect and to draft an agenda, 
but am equally happy if you want to centralize the suggested topics (or 
anybody else? Philippe? Alejandra?)

* Point 6., 7, 8.
OK, yes, agree.

* Point 9.
I am happy to continue taking informal minutes for the CSB and supporting 
you in keeping the flowing agenda for the CSB. However, 
as an ex-oficio member of the CSB, I would think it is more appropriate 
that a full member of the CSB takes the official minutes and posts/briefs 
the Plenary.
Possibly, as discussed during PC-2 (but to late to be organised) and 
suggested in your email, a Volunteer or somebody from the CSB Secretariat 
/ CONGO
could fulfil this task.

* Point 10.
I think this has been done in the meantime.

Voila, my few general and specific comments.


Taking Robert's earlier suggestion, perhaps we can look forward to read 
your 'update report' on the planning?

Best wishes,
Ramin

PS: Reminder:  please do send your input to the WG WM, if you are a member 
and/or interested. If not, please feel free and very welcome to join this 
open group ! We will hopefully have some rough draft charters of the 
various CS organs that will be discussed in detail during PC-3 . 






Dear Bureau Members

The aim of this message is to focus our PrepCom 3 planning and engage 
the CSB members and the Civil Society Secretariat at CONGO.  Its a 
lengthy message, but please take the time to read it and respond.


It is clear that PrepCom 3 will be dominated by discussion and debate 
on the Internet Governance issue. I want to check in on whether or 
not we are adequately planning the spaces that will be required for 
debate and negotiation on that and other issues.


I know the following:

1. There will be an orientation day and the Internet Governance 
Caucus will run an orientation session on IG. I am not sure if this 
will be training orientated to give people the information needed to 
participate in and understand the debates or if it will be a briefing 
session on the WGIG report.

2. There is some discussion of running a second session in the second 
week (given that people come and go over the two week period).

3. That the CSB Secretariat has sent out the form to capture room and 
service needs for civil society caucuses.

4. That there is an established pattern of civil society plenary 
morning meetings that cover content and evening meetings that cover 
logistics and process. I think we should continue to be flexible 
about this separation and deal with content and process when either 
aspect presents pressing items.

Lets not make a plan on the spot at the last minute.......I would 
like to ensure the following, in advance of PrepCom 3:

Content and Themes / Morning Meetings of Civil Society

Can we plan meeting times to avoid the desperate feeling of time 
limitations. While this is not easy, and there is never as much time 
as could be used, it's clear we need more time than we have dedicated 
to civil society plenary meetings. We must be respectful of the time 
given by volunteer interpreters and not habitually keep them for half 
an hour longer than agreed.

Is it reasonable to allow for a meeting from 9-11 each day? Can we 
have IG as a prime focus, but take the first 5 minutes of each 
session to establish an agenda of items identified from the floor and 
allocate an agreed time limit to each? There is no need to stay for 
two hours if the meeting can be adjourned before that.

Do we have a plan for the Chair of the morning sessions? Lets take a 
lead here Bureau - shall we propose a caucus rotation or nominate a 
team of chairs? Shall we simply plan to put a CSB member in the chair 
of Day 1 to sort this out as quickly as possible?

Evening Civil Society Plenary

Can we allow for a start time that allows for one and a half hours of 
interpreted meeting time. Again, the meeting can be concluded early 
if possible. We regularly went for one and a half hours at the last 
PrepCom.

Can we plan in advance for a team of volunteers Government Plenary 
monitors? I don't know how to contact Jane who has co-ordinated this 
in the past, but I would like to know if she could arrive with a plan 
and how we can assist to develop it. I also wonder if Viola's team 
could be asked to play a role here? Could we have additional 
volunteers to monitor and report? There is always a lot of pressure 
on a small team and sessions that cannot be covered as a result.

We didn't leave the last PrepCom with any decision on the Chair of 
this session. We can though avoid the empty chair start to the last 
PrepCom. If you agree, I will resume the Chair at the first meeting, 
and call for nominations for the role.

Civil Society Bureau

In practice, CONGO leads us on many fronts, in terms of letting us 
know what is required of us as the CSB during PrepComs. I would like 
to know, as much as it can be known, what we may be called upon to do 
during PrepCom 3. For example, will there be a Bureau to Bureau 
meeting and what would be on the agenda from the Government side?

What would we want to place on the agenda? For example what contained 
in the Bureau to Bureau document we developed at the last PrepCom has 
not been realised? it would be useful to have an early meeting with 
the Government Bureau to look at the issues we raised and which are 
outstanding.

What does the Civil Society Plenary need to deliver to the overall 
process during PrepCom 3. I would like to see an agenda of these 
items so we can schedule CS plenary debates. For example, we do need 
to nominate speaker representatives for the Summit. That's one item. 
Another will be what we need to know about the Summit before leaving 
PrepCom 3. Thinking this through now will enable Moncef to prepare 
information.

I think we need to ensure too, that CSB meetings are minuted during 
the meeting (Ramin was very good about that last PrepCom) and that 
they are posted to the Plenary list immediately after each meeting.

So here is the action I am requesting. I am assuming that Philippe 
will take the necessary action to progress these logistical matters 
(please let us know if this is not the case).

1. Put a 9 - 11 am Civil Society Content & Themes meeting on the 
schedule for each day, and allocate a large room and translation.

2. Put a 5 - 6.30pm meeting on the schedule each day and allocate a 
large room and translation.

3. Notify the Plenary that a CSB member will facilitate the selection 
of a Chairing process in the first Content & Themes meeting.

4. Liaise with Jane and Viola to recruit a team (Jane should 
determine the number of people that are needed for full coverage) of 
monitor reporters who will cover every session of the Government 
Plenary and report nightly to the Civil Society plenary meeting.

5. Develop and circulate by the first week of September, an agenda of 
items that the CSB needs to work on and facilitate within CS Plenary. 
In turn we will need to propose a plan for CS Plenary to process 
these items. It would be good to circulate this to Plenary in early 
September and get input in advance and from people who wont be there.

6. Allocate a daily time (1 hour), room and translation to the CSB.

7. Compile the arrival details of CSB members and make possible 
(room, translation) an early meeting of the CSB. Here we can develop 
a time management plan to propose to Plenary on issues that need to 
be decided. We can review any matters that CONGO knows need to be 
worked on by the CSB.  This will ensure adequate time for debate and 
not leave all the decisions to a last minute crush.

8. Examine the outstanding matters in the B2B document and liaise 
with relevant players on the state of play in each. I would want a 
report on progress that will enable us to decide what we need to pick 
up on. Of course we need to report this progress and identify the 
outstanding gaps, to CS Plenary.

9. Ask Ramin if he will be present at PrepCom 3 and if he is prepared 
to take minutes and post them to plenary. If this is not possible, 
recruit and schedule a volunteer to take on this role.

10. Develop the Orientation Day agenda, including some information on 
the content of the IG orientation session.


I am sure there are other matters but this is my first go at giving 
some pre-planned structure to the work we must do at PrepCom 3. 
Please respond to the list.

I may be out of contact until the 15th August but will catch up with 
your input then.

regards to all

Tracey




* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ramin Kaweh
Programme Officer
UN-NGLS (Non-Governmental Liaison Service)
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
tel:  0041.22. 917 2078
fax: 0041.22. 917 0432
ramin.kaweh at unctad.org
www.un-ngls.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


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