<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Dear all</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Well, thanks to the "intruder"
from Chandigarh we know now that this list is not dead! </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">In the past, I sent all information
about CSTD and the cluster of WSIS-related events to Philippe, who sent
it to this list. I wanted to remain in the background, as I am not really
"civil society" (at least not yet, I shall retire in November
2009 and maybe shall continue on some aspects of WSIS in my new capacity
as a member of civil society...). </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">There have been some changes in CONGO,
and I shall discuss with CONGO about their future role in WSIS follow-up.
If CONGO agrees, I shall continue, for the time being, to work through
CONGO. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">There are some new developments here
in Geneva. Regarding the cluster of WSIS-related events, ITU is taking
over more and more responsibility, which is not a bad move, as I am retiring.
ITU may not feel comfortable to send information to a "civil society
list", but I think they would be ready to keep CONGO in the loop.
This would alllow for better planning for those of you who intend to come
to Geneva for the future clusters of WSIS-related events. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Regarding the CSTD, the Secretariat
did install last year for the first time a e-mail list for the members
of the Commission, and I managed to get on this list also three persons
from civil society, insiting on the multi-stakeholder character of WSIS
follow-up (Ayesha from ICC is also on the list). The three persons are
Philippe, Parminder and Anriette. There was no traffic on this list in
the last few months, but in the run-up to the next CSTD session (25-29
May 2009) I think that a draft resolution on WSIS follow-up may circulate
again on this list, like last year. As Philippe is not anymore with CONGO,
the draft resolution could be sent to this list by Parminder or Anriette
(or a new person from CONGO). It is a good way to keep all of you informed,
and you may also give feedback to those of you who are at Geneva attending
the CSTD. CONGO has already contacted me (thanks to the "accident"
on this list) and we shall discuss what role CONGO can/will play
in WSIS follow-up from now onwards. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I use this opportunity to give you some
advance information directly. It is not yet official, but very likely,
that there would be a second round of open consultations in the run-up
to the fourth annual IGF meeting in Egypt, in the second week of
May in Geneva, very probably on 13 May. The MAG of IGF would then meet
on 14 and 15 May. ITU plans to hold a cluster of WSIS-related events (or
whatever the new name may be) in the third week of May, in the ITU premises
or in the CICG (behind the ITU) in Geneva. At present, it looks like as
if the programme would be a mixture between the tradional Action Line Facilitation
meetings and a meeting on themes (ITU is focusing this year heavily on
child protection on the Internet). ITU and UNESCO will meet with the different
Action Line Facilitators on 23 February and it is possible (but not sure,
we are running out of time) that ITU and UNESCO would do a short online
multistakeholder consultation afterwards. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The 12th session of the CSTD is taking
place from 25 to 29 May. Like in the previous years, the first day will
be at ministerial level, with a short opening ceremony (hopefully, like
in the previous years, with a speaker from civil society). Most probably
we will have on Tuesday 26 May a day with multi-stakeholder panels, organized
jointly with GAID. There is a good chance that one panel would be on mobile
phones and poverty reduction, but the themes are not yet fully fixed. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Regarding civil society participation,
we organized last year a nomination process in order to invite some participants
from civil society. This process was very time-consuming, as the information
about the nomination process was not only sent to this list, but also to
more than 3000 entities in consultative status with ECOSOC, and we received
more than 100 nominations from NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC,
but who could not show any relation to WSIS. We have therefore decided
not repeat the process this year. We have some (few) money from SDC left
to invite some (few) participants from civil society. Last year, Philippe
and I had identified about 20 serious nominations for invitation from all
over the developing world. We selected 9 persons, and 6 could finally attend
(3 dropped out for different reasons). We shall therefore use the same
list of nominations like last year, and concentrate on those names that
we were unable to consider last year. We plan roughly for 2 invitees each
from Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The invitees may partly be
from the same organizations like last year, but would very probably not
be the same persons. I shall keep the members of this list (directly or
through CONGO) informed about the invitation process. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">With best regards from Geneva</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Charles Geiger</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Special Adviser to the CSTD</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> </font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>karen banks <karenb@gn.apc.org></b>
</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: plenary-bounces@wsis-cs.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">11.02.2009 10:57</font>
<table border>
<tr valign=top>
<td bgcolor=white>
<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
Virtual WSIS CS Plenary Group Space <plenary@wsis-cs.org></font></div></table>
<br>
<td width=59%>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">anriette@apc.org, Virtual WSIS CS Plenary
Group Space <plenary@wsis-cs.org>, Virtual WSIS CS Plenary Group
Space <plenary@wsis-cs.org></font>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
<td>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] this list is in
trouble...</font></table>
<br>
<table>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<td></table>
<br></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>[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 http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access automatic translation
of this message!<br>
_______________________________________<br>
<br>
</tt></font><font size=3>hi everyone<br>
<br>
Thanks anriette for responding.. nothing to add from me.. <br>
<br>
adam and i continue to check legitimate subscriptions when we can - but
we provide no moderation (and to be honest - the list has never been moderated
in the sense of moderating content - the list has always been self-moderated
by the community of subscribed users). <br>
<br>
However, in this instance, we have removed the offending address.<br>
<br>
I am going to ask our technical support people to look into the possible
hacking of subscribed addresses<br>
<br>
karen<br>
<br>
At 19:47 10/02/2009, Anriette Esterhuysen wrote:</font>
<br><font size=3>[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 </font><a href=http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/><font size=3 color=blue><u>http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/</u></font></a><font size=3>
to access automatic translation of this message!<br>
_______________________________________<br>
<br>
Hello all<br>
<br>
Just to confirm what has been said:<br>
<br>
- APC is still donating server time and space towards hosting this list<br>
<br>
- Subscription is public, so anyone can subscribe, but the request for<br>
subscription is held for approval by the volunteer moderators who are,<br>
currently, Adam Peake and Karen Banks<br>
<br>
- However, the spirit of this list has been one of open and free<br>
participation, and it is in no way linked to WSIS accreditation;<br>
therefore the moderators are not under any obligation to spend too much<br>
time on checking who new subscribers are.. as long as they appear to<br>
have some interest in information society issues potential subscribers<br>
are likely to be approved<br>
<br>
- The purpose of the list has evolved, and while it is has been less<br>
active, it could still play a role in sharing information, and, as<br>
Charles Geiger has pointed out, to communicate specifically around the<br>
WSIS follow-up process which for many of us is still important<br>
<br>
APC is happy to continue to support this list, but we are not in a<br>
position to monitor it closely. That we leave to the participants.. and<br>
based on the discussion in this thread, you are doing a very good job at<br>
dealing with inappropriate content.<br>
<br>
Best<br>
<br>
Anriette<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Plenary mailing list<br>
Plenary@wsis-cs.org</font><font size=3 color=blue><u><br>
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</font><font size=2><tt>_______________________________________________<br>
Plenary mailing list<br>
Plenary@wsis-cs.org<br>
http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plenary<br>
</tt></font>
<br>