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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First of all, I wish to refer you to Jettre Madsen
and Philippe Dam's report for today Tuesday 25 Oct., .</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a few remarks to make.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Chair announced that NGOs were not allowed to
sit in even in silence. So NGOs as visible as ourselves had to
leave the room. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Secondly, while there were more texts agreed upon
today, some governments backtracked on agreed language despite the plea of
the Chair not to as a matter of principle and for want of time. A specific
one wason para.27 of Rev Chapter Two. The real issue here was on new and
adequate finances and not deviating resources from existing ones,
rather than approaches (Egypt's comment). And also the need to
have responses and support - in other words promptness and
accessability of financiaI support from North/South and N/S and
S/S coopeation were needed. .Another para were there was danger of
backtracking was para 39 when the U.S. wanted to include Civil Society
for the purpose of "style"., and some governments found this as an opening to
introduce new language. So the Chair stressed the necessity not to reopen
agreed paragraphs, in which case the U.S. withdrew this proposal in order
to keep the agreement.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>With regards to Para 21 of Rev. Chapter
Two, in our briefing with the UK (EU), the idea of transfer of technology
was acceptable but not the issue of supporting financial
investments but not its sustainabiloity. She also
welcome new language from other stakeholders and said she will allude to
this in tomorrow's
session. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>iOn specific paragraphs, 32 and 33 of the
Political Chapeau, trade libralization was considered to be a specialized
subject that the WSIS had no competence in and should be left to the Finance
Ministries (Venezuela specifically stated that they were pre-empting the
Hongkong Ministerial Conference which outcome was still unknown.
I sense that this issue will either deleted or left in brackets till
Tunis. </FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>With regard to 34 and 35, the problem is with the
U.S. that did not want to use the word <EM>protect</EM> cultural expression
which is in the newly adopted UNESCO Convention but preferred to keep preserve
and insert <EM>indigenous </EM> and
local languages.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Since it willo be a close session from now on, we
shall havde to depend on the briefings by the Chair in the morning and by the UK
in the evening.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Conchita</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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