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<TD class=sidebar_white width="82%" bgColor=#990066><SPAN
class=headline>The World Summit on the Information Society Civil Society
Meeting Point </SPAN><wsis-cs.org></TD></TR>
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<DIV class=left_menu align=left><ALIGN="LEFT" class=left_menu><A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/index.html">http://www.wsis-cs.org/index.html</A><BR>
<P></P><ALIGN="LEFT" class=left_menu><A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/wsis-intro.html">A very brief
introduction</A> to the WSIS process</A><BR>
<P></P><ALIGN="LEFT" class=left_menu>Overview of Civil Society Elements
and how to get involved.<BR><ALIGN="LEFT" class=left_menu><EM>the Plenary,
Content and Themes Group and Bureau</EM>
<P></P>
<P class=left_menu align=left>Civil Society <A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/caucuses.html">Caucuses and Working groups
and how to get involved.</A> </P>
<P class=left_menu align=left><A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/website-links.html">Website
links</A><BR>Civil Society Organisations<BR>Civil Society Division <BR>ITU
</P>
<P class=left_menu align=left><A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/translation.html">Civil Society Translation
team</A></P>
<P class=left_menu align=left><A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/newlist.html">Create a new mailing
list</A></A></P>
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<P class=bodytext><STRONG>>> Overview of Civil Society Elements and
how to get involved.</STRONG> <BR>
<P class=bodytext>The following describes in summary the basic structures
that civil society has developed over the preparatory process of the WSIS.
<BR><BR>1. A key principle underlying the structures of civil society is
that there must be multiple avenues and means for participation, and that
all civil society entities can select the nature, level and extent of
participation according to their needs and interests. <BR><BR>2. Civil
Society can constitute itself into a <STRONG>Plenary (CSP)</STRONG> at
every official convening of the WSIS process, such as Regional
Conferences, PrepComs, Intersessional meetings and Summits. The CSP is
open to the participation of all civil society participants. When
convened, it is the ultimate civil society authority in the WSIS process,
in relation to the mandate and scope of the specific event. At PrepCom II,
CSP endorsed the existence and terms of the Civil Society Content &
Themes Group and the Civil Society Bureau. <BR><BR>3. The <STRONG>Civil
Society Content and Themes Group (CS C&T)</STRONG> coordinates the
work of numerous self-constituting civil society Caucuses, Working Groups
and other content related entities. It is charged with facilitating
agreement on and taking decisions on content-related issues, while
respecting the domain expertise and competence of Caucuses and Content
Groups. It reports regularly to the CS plenary on decisions taken.
<BR><BR>4. The <STRONG>Civil Society Bureau (CSB)</STRONG> functions as an
interlinkage between civil society participants and the intergovernmental
Bureau and process, with regard to operational and logistical needs,
procedures and interactions. It does not concern itself with
content-related issues. The Bureau is constituted by 21 'family nodal
points', that enable any civil society entity to find a 'home', and it
enhances interaction between all sections of civil society and between
civil society and others. The Civil Society Division of the WSIS
Secretariat provides the Secretariat for the CS Bureau. The Bureau reports
regularly to the CS Plenary on decisions taken. <BR><BR>5. The
<STRONG>Civil Society Division of the WSIS Secretariat (CSD)</STRONG>
supports the activities of all civil society participants and entities in
the Summit, including the above. It may also provide support to
participants who chose not to associate with some or all of the above
entities, in a manner that respects the functions and authority of the
above. <BR><BR>6. The CSP approved a <STRONG>Virtual CS Plenary
group</STRONG> as an electronic forum between physical meetings of the
CSP, to promote debate and greater transparency in the organisation of
civil society during the Summit preparatory process, including between the
various entities above. It is not a decision making entity, but decisions
of other entities will be circulated there. It is open to all accredited
entities, to registered bodies at WSIS meetings, and to all civil society
entities with an active interest in the WSIS. <BR><BR>7. All the above
entities will take action to ensure that, <STRONG>within the available
resources</STRONG>, key decisions are taken only after consideration of
the issues <STRONG>in the working languages of the Summit: English, French
and Spanish.</STRONG> <BR><BR>Seán Ó Siochrú <BR>Wolfgang Kleinwaechter
<BR>Renata Bloem <BR><BR><BR>12/09/2003 <BR><BR>For more information about
the CS Plenary mailing list and how to subscribe, click <A
href="http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary">here</A><BR>For
more information about the CS Content and Themes Mailing list and how to
subscribe, click <A
href="http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ct">here</A><BR>For
more information about all of the CS Content and Themes caucuses and
working groups, click <A
href="http://www.wsis-cs.org/caucuses.html">here</A><BR>For more
information about the CS Bureau click <A
href="http://www.geneva2003.org/wsis/main_c01_08.htm">here</A><BR>For more
information about the CS Division click <A
href="http://www.geneva2003.org/wsis/index_c01_3_16.htm">here</A>
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