[CS Bureau] CSB statment for the B2B meeting

[west]

Dear Mr. Geiger

Please as requested distribute this text among the Govt bureau members.

With regards

Amir Barmaki

CSB alternate chair



 
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 mange matters of logistics and procedures. Matters of content and themes are dealt with in the daily Content and Themes meeting of the civil society pleanary. 
 

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 
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