<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style="">Dear Colleagues,<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style="">We received a number of important bits of information about what is likely to happen at the Prepcom for the next two weeks during the Civil Society Orientation Session today.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Among the tidbits I noted:<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><UL style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">The main drafting and negotiating work will take place in two sub-committees.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Subcommittee A will meet in the mornings and focus on the Chapter on Internet Governance (Chapter 3).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ambassador Khan of Pakistan will chair.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sub-committee B will meet in the afternoons and focus on “all other issues” including the Political Chapeau, Implementation (Chapter 1), Financing Mechanisms (Chapter 2), and The Way Ahead (Chapter 4) and will be chaired by Amb. Lyndall Shope-Mafole of South Africa.</SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">The draft texts pertaining to implementation and They Way Ahead prepared by the Group of the Friends of the chair will be introduced on Tuesday.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If accepted by delegations, it will become part of the new draft text of Chapters 1 and 4.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On Thursday and Friday there will be a consolidated reading of the new Chapters 1 and 4.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the second week, sub-committee B will focus on Chapter 2, financing mechanisms.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">WIFI access will be available in the conference rooms and the meetings will be webcast, at least in audio and perhaps with video.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">Other stakeholders should have opportunities to intervene periodically during the prepcom.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The first opportunity will be on Monday afternoon, to sub-committee A, with 15 minutes allotted to civil society, 15 minutes to the private sector and 15 minutes to international organizations.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">An official press conference will take place on Friday, 30 September.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The decision on the holding of a civil society press conference has not been taken yet.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI></UL><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style="">We also received some practical information about the Tunis Summit:<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><UL style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">Free shuttles will be available to transport participants between some hotels and the conference facility, as well as from the airport to the conference.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">Charles Geiger noted that hotels in Tunis are charging the “high season” rates.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">The Tunis hosts will do their best to facilitate invitation letters to participants so that they can obtain visas.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Charles Geiger noted that participants travelling through the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris might experience more difficulties entering Tunisia than those entering via London, Hamburg or other European airports.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">The Host Country Agreement was still being finalized.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Once it is signed by the Tunisian host country, Charles Geiger will report to the civil society on the relevant parts of the agreement as it relates to them.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI><LI class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in"><SPAN style="">Wifi access will be available during the Summit, although it was still not clear if it would be free. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></LI></UL><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN style=""> <SPAN style="">The next civil society meeting scheduled is the CS plenary, tomorrow morning from 0900-1000 in Conference Room XXII, Palais des Nations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Participants are advised to arrive at the security office much earlier to get your badge if you have not registered already.<O:P></O:P></SPAN><O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">- Rik Panganiban</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">===============================================</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">RIK PANGANIBAN <SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Communications Coordinator</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO)<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">web: <A href="http://www.ngocongo.org">http://www.ngocongo.org</A></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">email: <A href="mailto:rik.panganiban@ngocongo.org">rik.panganiban@ngocongo.org</A></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">* Information on the WSIS at <A href="http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis">http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis</A></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">* Information on Millennium+5 at <A href="http://www.ngocongo.org/mdg">http://www.ngocongo.org/mdg</A></FONT></P> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>