[Media Caucus] Fwd: AW: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re Intersessional Negotiations Group

[Tracey Naughton]

- some discussion on the media today - China proposed leaving us out  
again.....

Tracey


Begin forwarded message:

From: Wolfgang Kleinwächter <wolfgang.kleinwaechter at medienkomm.uni- 
halle.de>
Date: 25 October 2005 4:01:03 PM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org, plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: AW: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re Intersessionalo Negotiations Group
Reply-To: plenary at wsis-cs.org


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Thanks Conchita, very helpful.

wolfgang


________________________________

Von: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org im Auftrag von conchita poncini
Gesendet: Di 25.10.2005 02:37
An: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Betreff: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re Intersessionalo Negotiations Group


This morning, we had a briefing with the Chair of the WSISII  
Prepcom.  This briefing will be daily from 9:15-10:00. We were told  
that it was a close meeting.  Nevertheless some of us were able enter  
the gallery.  However, this afternoon, when we were about to go to  
the gallery, we were told by the person responsible for checking  
entry that we were now allowed to enter the main room.

We also had a briefing from the ( U.K) and the Netherlands on behalf  
of the European Union.  This will also take place daily after the  
session 6:00 p.m.

I attended the whole morning session and part of the afternoon one.   
Philippe Dam reported on these..

The Chair announced that tomorrow he will start first with the  
discussion of Chapter 2 and then proceed with what the rest of the  
Chapeau and what was  pending agreement on the Chapeau.

I wish to provide my own general comments on what I felt were issues  
that were contentious.

The first one was on Para. 4.  To find a balance between "freedom ôf  
expression" and  freedom of the media.  Onthe phrase of the text  
"editorially independent media in the information society".  China  
asked the iquestion "what is the "media" and proposed to delete it.  
The Chair recalled that the media was discussed at great length in  
the Geneva Phase and is in the Geneva Declaration of Principles.

Para. 9 on leading role of governments in patnership with other  
stakeholders, the Chair after listening to the many comments, took  
note that many wanted to see that governments play a leading role.   
In line with this, the Chair proposed the following rewording,  "We  
reaffirm the role of each stakeholder as outlined in Para.3 of the  
Geneva POA.  Egypt wanted to insert after "role" the phrase "and  
responsibility", which the Chair felt was a good proposal and will  
incorporate it in the text to be submitted tomorrow..

On the proposal of the Chair to delete Paras3-5, Norway made a long  
statement to support keeping para4 this on grounds that a knowledge- 
based society is recognized as being the key to development, which  
was endorsed by U.S., Egypt, Canada.

Paras 32 and 33 on the issue of trade, the Chair wanted to delete all  
parasm referring to this as being outside the purview of WSIS.    
However,  Honduras (G77)  and Egypt expressed that there was a tight  
relationship between Trade and Development and ICT and many paras  
were in fact found in the Geneva text.. Canada was of the view that  
the first sentence of para 32 was certainly not for the Group to  
negotiate since comprehensive financial strategy that covers debt  
sustainability as it was within the mandate of the Finance Ministry.   
It was howevere prepared to agree to 32 and 33 without this first  
sentence.  U.S.was prepared to look at 33..

Paras 34 and 35, Thailand wanted to make certain that cultural  
diversity be kept.  Egypt mentioned that UNESCO just adopted a  
Convention on Cultural Diversity which should be relected here as  
regards promotion and protetion of cultural diversity.  Mexico wanted  
to insert "indigenous language and the U.S. and Norway agreed that  
indigenous and cultural diversity should be in the language of the  
document.  The Chair at this late hour of the evening plead for  
flexibility on the part of Thailand and U.S. to accept 34.and delete   
35 incorporating in 34 the two concepts of indigenous.and culotural  
divdersity.

The session ended at this point.

Conchita
     .    .

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