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<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Hi,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Pretty interesting session of SubCom 3 on the
Forum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Only speaker against the forum was Colombia,
which sounded more unsure<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>than
opposed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">EU finally put down its marker and supported
the forum, using language<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>that is almost
entirely consistent with ours. Only partial exception was<SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>their statement that there should be a time
limit on its mandate, a point<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>on which we
did not try to get agreement.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Other industrialized countries in agreement:
Japan, Canada, and previously<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>Switzerland
and Norway. Only USA has not taken a stand, but I think they<SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>will reluctantly agree in the end and get
finicky over the precise<SPAN class=856283411-27092005>
</SPAN>details.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Most interesting was the shift in developing
country approaches.</FONT></DIV><FONT>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Brazil came out for the forum, stating that
this should be separate from<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>the oversight
function, on which it would like to see a new Council. South<SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, all agreed.
Some of these previously had said<SPAN class=856283411-27092005>
</SPAN>informally that they don't want a forum, they want one body that does
it<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>all. This is a change. <SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>The question going forward is whether
they will<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>accept the forum when the
industrialized countries say nyet to the<SPAN class=856283411-27092005>
</SPAN>Council. Suspect they will.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Also supporting were Uruguay and
Uganda.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Even CCBI is smelling the coffee and getting
in the game. Their first<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>statement
in the morning was to the effect that everything should be<SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>handled through existing bodies, don't need a
new and duplicative body,<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>etc. Art's
statement this time spun it differently: any new body must not<SPAN
class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>threaten stability; must promote development;
must <SPAN class=856283411-27092005>be multi</SPAN>stakeholder; <SPAN
class=856283411-27092005>and </SPAN>should be sensitive to financial and human
resources. Will<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>look at texts in
this light.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Believe this will happen. We played a
role in developing and pushing the<SPAN class=856283411-27092005> </SPAN>idea
and should view these developments accordingly, methinks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Book Antiqua">Best,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><BR>Bill</FONT><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">*******************************************************<BR>William
J. Drake </FONT><A href="mailto:wdrake@ictsd.ch"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">wdrake@ictsd.ch</FONT></A><BR><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">President, Computer Professionals for <BR>
Social Responsibility </FONT><A href="http://www.cpsr.org/"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">www.cpsr.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Book Antiqua"> <BR>Senior
Associate, International Centre for Trade<BR> and Sustainable
Development </FONT><A href="http://www.ictsd.org/"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">www.ictsd.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Book Antiqua">
<BR> Geneva, Switzerland <BR></FONT><A
href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series</FONT></A><BR><A
href="http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake</FONT></A><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Morality is the best of all devices for leading </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Book Antiqua">mankind
by the
nose.---Nietzsche<BR>*******************************************************</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></P><SPAN
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