<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<font face="Trebuchet MS">Hi Adam,<br>
<br>
This is a very helpful summary. Many thanks to you and all the others
reporting.<br>
<br>
Jim<br>
<br>
</font><span class="EmailStyle15"><font color="black" face="Arial"
size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"
lang="EN-GB">********************************************************<br>
<br>
</span></font></span>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">Dr Jim McDonnell, MCIPR</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">Director of Advocacy and Public
Relations</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">SIGNIS (World Catholic Association
for Communication)<br>
<br>
</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">134 Worple Road</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">London SW19 4JF, U.K.</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">Tel: +44 (0) 208 946 3631</font></address>
<address><font face="Trebuchet MS">GSM:+44 (0) 7860 920 710</font></address>
<font face="Trebuchet MS"><a
href="mailto:%20jimmcdonnell@blueyonder.co.uk">jimmcdonnell@blueyonder.co.uk</a></font><br>
<br>
Adam Peake wrote:
<blockquote cite="midp0623090dbf58826d6466@%5B156.106.225.54%5D"
type="cite">[Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to
the entire list. Kindly use individual addresses for responses intended
for specific people]
<br>
<br>
Click <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/">http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/</a> to access automatic translation
of this message!
<br>
_______________________________________
<br>
<br>
Hi,
<br>
<br>
As you'll have seen from Jeremy Shtern and Robert Guerra's very helpful
notes and blogs, Sub-Committee A (Internet governance) got complicated
this morning. I'll try to explain what I think is happening and
implications for civil society.
<br>
<br>
After this morning's general discussion, at about 12 noon, Amb Khan
(chair) suggested that drafting groups should be created to work on
text for the rest of the process. He suggested these drafting groups
would start work tomorrow. To help the work of the drafters, tomorrow
morning the chair will distribute a text of the Chapter on Internet
governance (perhaps his text will be online by 10AM Geneva local time?)
He was very clear about the status of all the papers that have been
made available to date: all are for our information, all are to aid
discussion, they have no official status.
<br>
<br>
So the purpose of the text the chair will deliver tomorrow is to focus
attention on issues and to stimulate discussion.
<br>
<br>
The meeting accepted that the chair would submit a text, they should
accept it tomorrow without complaint. (some will remember the problems
we had at an earlier prepcom when Adama Samassekou tried to introduce a
non-paper... it caused all kind of trouble. This should not happen
tomorrow.)
<br>
<br>
Most governments said only a limited number of drafting groups should
be created. Delegations do not have enough members for many additional
groups. There was no decision on the number of groups, but it will be
only a few.
<br>
<br>
So it was agreed there will be drafting groups.
<br>
<br>
The main issue then was rules of procedure for these drafting groups.
<br>
<br>
Participation of observers was a contentious. The outcome is we are
now faced with three options
<br>
<br>
(1.) Observers will not be able to participate in drafting groups.
Intergovernmental only.
<br>
(2.) Observers will be able to make written or spoken comments at the
start of a drafting group session and will then be asked to leave.
<br>
(3.) Observers will be able to make written or spoken comments at the
start of a drafting group session and will be able to stay as silent
observers.
<br>
<br>
Observers of course want option (3.) My feeling is that we might get
(2.) but (1.) is not unlikely. I hope I am wrong.
<br>
<br>
No decision was made today, but the governments have been asked to
decide overnight.
<br>
<br>
Option 1 and 2 will be very hard for us. The first time we would see
text from drafting groups would be when it is presented to the Plenary.
Under rules of procedure for the prepcom observers are allowed to
participate in Plenary and speak, but we must submit our comments for
each day before the Plenary session starts. Therefore we will not be
able to comment on text until the day after it comes from the drafting
group, and by that time government's in Plenary will have completed
comments on the text we observers are only just beginning to address.
Options 1 and 2 would make our comments and presence largely
irrelevant.
<br>
<br>
Governments suggested that civil society and private sector might
appoint a few liaisons to work closely with the government chairs of
the drafting groups, bringing information to their stakeholders. But
as the drafting groups are likely to be working late into the day
(perhaps night), this would not help us prepare timely and therefore
relevant comments to plenary.
<br>
<br>
Hopefully we will get option 3 tomorrow.
<br>
<br>
Thanks,
<br>
<br>
Adam
<br>
_______________________________________________
<br>
Plenary mailing list
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Plenary@wsis-cs.org">Plenary@wsis-cs.org</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary">http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary</a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>