[CS Bureau] polished statement for B2B

[magaly at dawn.org.br]

Hi Tracey,
it is a late response I know, just to say I'm fine with the document and 
Wolfgang's comment.

Magaly


Quoting Tracey Naughton <tracey at traceynaughton.com>:

> Bureau Members, hello
> 
> Here is a more polished version of the statement to be presented  
> today at the B2B meeting. I have not had any feedback on the version  
> I posted yesterday so I assume you are all happy with it. Wolfgang  
> suggested using the term 'input to impact' regarding civil society  
> statements and I have included that.
> 
> There will be copies of this for the meeting today.
> 
> Tracey
> 
> 
> Civil Society Discussion Points
> Tunis Summit Preparations & the WSIS Implementation Phase
> 
> Presented at PrepCom 3, September 2005
> to the WSIS Inter-Governmental Bureau
> 
> This note follows and builds on the document submitted to the Inter- 
> Governmental Bureau, by the Civil Society Bureau, shortly after  
> PrepCom 2. This note is framed within the mandate of the Civil  
> Society Bureau which is to manage matters of logistics and  
> procedures. Matters of content and themes are dealt with at the daily  
> Content and Themes meeting of the civil society plenary.
> 
> 
> 1.  Mutli-Stakholder Approach
> 
> 
> We appreciate the interaction at Bureau level, which is enabled in  
> the context of PrepComs, and hope this can be continued beyond the  
> WSIS process, within the framework of any post WSIS mechanisms. We  
> look forward to being informed of Government Bureau decisions and to  
> future meaningful interaction.
> 
> Previously we requested active engagement in the decision thinking  
> and decision making stages of preparation for the Summit. Although we  
> acknowledge that our input has been received, considered and in  
> several aspects, acted upon, we strongly submit that we have  
> expertise and a complementary perspective that has not been fully  
> realised through face-to-face participation. We reiterate this  
> request and offer an assurance that Civil Society has the capacity to  
> self organise appropriate and highly skilled representation in this  
> regard.
> 
> 
> 
> Having said that, Civil Society is concerned that there is an erosion  
> of commitment to the much-lauded multi-stakeholder approach for which  
> WSIS has been acclaimed. Although the spirit remains in the WSIS  
> process, we are concerned that it is gradually and subtly being  
> eroded in practise and in texts. There is as yet, no clear commitment  
> to its continuation within WSIS follow up. Multi-stakeholder process  
> is a significant achievement within WSIS, and stands as a model for  
> other UN negotiations. We ask the Inter-Governmental Bureau to  
> promote it in WSIS related formats and more broadly as a mechanism  
> for global governance.
> 
> 
> 2. Connectivity at WSIS, Tunis
> 
> 
> 
> Internet Access:
> 
> 
> 
> We appreciate that Internet access will be available at the Summit.  
> Internet access is a basic tool of work for civil society, indeed for  
> the Information and knowledge societies that we are constructing. The  
> high cost of connectivity at the Geneva Summit was a severe  
> impediment to the work of civil society. The travel and accommodation  
> costs of participation for civil society members are already high and  
> we ask for your support in ensuring that additional costs are minimised.
> 
> 
> Virtual Participation and Meeting Spaces:
> 
> 
> There is a high level of interest in virtual participation that we  
> believe must be catered for. We reiterate our request for all key  
> meetings and events to be organised to enable virtual participation  
> by interested parties who will not be able to attend the Summit in  
> person.
> 
> 
> 3. Documentation and Press Conferences
> 
> 
> 
> Press conferences:
> 
> 
> We bring to your attention the allocation of daily press conference  
> time at the Summit, for civil society. This is a very positive  
> indication that different actors in the WSIS process are implementing  
> the multi-stakeholder process and enabling a plurality of voices to  
> express their diverse interpretations of information and knowledge  
> societies. We commend the ITU Communications Department.
> 
> 
> 4. Final Summit Documents
> 
> 
> 
> Civil Society seeks Summit outcome documents that reflect the views  
> of all parties to the negotiations. We recognise that any other  
> outcome would diminish the climate of multi-stakeholder process. We  
> note that some of our ideas have been included in texts to date, and  
> will continue to seek a process that moves our input to impact. We  
> have not taken a decision to develop a separate text. However, we  
> still reserve the possibility, that should our input not be clearly  
> reflected in a multi-stakeholder document, of issuing a separate  
> document. In this event, we would like such a document to be  
> appended, as in Phase 1 of WSIS, to the Summit Declaration.  
> Additionally, in the event of a separate document from Civil Society  
> being produced, we request a specific time to present this to the  
> Government plenary at the Summit.
> 
> 
> 
> 5. Financing of Civil Society
> 
> 
> 
> The matter of financing Civil Society participation needs to be  
> planned and catered for with adequate time to prepare quality  
> outcomes. Civil Society participants seek assistance in advance on  
> two levels – that of fellowships for attendance and participation and  
> for events and projects that will enable innovation in the exhibition  
> and parallel event platforms. We ask that neutral institutions such  
> as UN-NGLS distribute all funding for civil society.
> 
> 
> 
> In particular civil society requests information on the commitment by  
> the Tunisian Government of 400,000 Dinars for civil society  
> participation. We applaud this allocation but call for urgent  
> information on how this fund will be used in relation to travel,  
> accommodation and subsistence and how it will be announced and  
> distributed. We understand this fund will be targeted to support  
> participants from least developed countries and young people. We call  
> for it to include support for people in developing nations,  
> especially those who have been active in the WSIS process.
> 
> 
> 
> We call upon other governments to follow the lead of the Tunisian  
> Government and make complementary allocations to civil society  
> participation.
> 
> 
> 
> 7. Regional Follow up to WSIS
> 
> 
> 
> We ask the Inter-governmental Bureau to call upon Governments to  
> facilitate and support future regional Information and knowledge  
> societies events that arise from the WSIS process. We ask that the  
> right of freedom of assembly be ensured for such meetings, before,  
> during and after the Tunis Summit.
> 
> 
> 
> 8. Liaison with WSIS Executive Secretariat
> 
> 
> 
> Civil Society has additional items to raise that relate to the  
> logistics of the Summit. These include matters of visas, document  
> importation and immunity, which we understand will be covered by the  
> host country agreement. We appreciate and acknowledge the positive co- 
> operation between civil society and the Executive Secretariat and its  
> commitment to informing civil society about the host country  
> agreement, which it is anticipated, will be signed during PrepCom 3.  
> In the light of this, these matters are not detailed in this document.
> 
> 
> 
> 9. Conclusion
> 
> In conclusion, we thank you again for this forum and warmly welcome  
> your response and feedback on both the matters in this note and on  
> any other matters relating to civil society that you would wish to  
> express.
> 
> 
> 
> Verbal presentation of above by Tracey Naughton, Chair of the Civil  
> Society Bureau
> 
> PrepCom 3 September 20th, 2005