[WSIS CS-Plenary] PrepCom chair Karklins on GFC, governmental Bureau and PrepComs

[Ralf Bendrath]

Hi all,

Ambassador Karklins was so kind to give us a briefing on the state of 
affairs in the official WSIS preparations, especially the Group of 
Friends of the Chair and the Bureau, on Saturday after the Global Forum 
in Berlin. Here are my notes.

Best, Ralf

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Ambassador Janis Karklins, WSIS PrepCom Chair
*

*WSIS Briefing for Civil Society**
*

*Berlin**, 20.11.2004**
*

*1. Group of Friends of the Chair (GFC)*

- GFC is currently more an exploratory exercise

- “Move from words to actions” – what does that mean?

- “We won’t bake bread in Tunis, we will still produce texts”

- Only few submissions so far from governments

- *GFC meeting with stakeholders, 15^th November: *

o Governments engaged in discussion, we had a real working session, 
though the stakeholders were there

o Govts don’t want to create a precedent

- *GFC closed meeting 16^th November*

o Karklins is working on the assumption that outcome of Tunis will be 
one document in two parts. Might become two different documents at PrepCom.

o Some govts want one doc, others want two docs (as in Geneva)

- *Political chapeau:*

o Main points of discussion: how to reflect Geneva issues (if at all) in 
Tunis documents?

o Should we raise Geneva Docs in Tunis document?

o If there is a political document, then some governments will want a 
longer document (just for the sake of form): Listing of issues would be 
necessary in order to have balanced doc, but then political issues would 
be re-openend.

o Consensus: Chapeau paras 4-10 (of version from 10 November) will be 
re-written, not balanced enough. Karklins will re-write this before next 
meeting (December 16/17). (Not to be published then, as the next meeting 
is govts only)

o Utsumi: Add new paras in chapeau that would reflect “further 
commitments”. Means: going further than in Geneva

o Adopt mechanisms to help implement Geneva decision

§ Not about financial, but also human resources.

o Not really working on detailed language yet.

o If TFFM report is available, Karklins will draft a part on that. To be 
published on the website.

- *Next GFC meeting 16/17 December, **Geneva**: *

§ Discussion on TFFM

§ Discussion of political chapeau

§ Discussion of operational part

- Karklins is trying to wake the govts up and make clear that this is 
serious now (afraid that they will start from scratch again at PC3 or so)

- *DSF issue: need clarify *what is meant

o existing DSF

o or the initial global DSF idea?

- Geneva-Tunis documents relations?

o Same vision.

o Tunis doc as synthesis or as complementary?

o Karklins’ view: Geneva and Tunis docs are one packet

o not all governments totally convinced yet.

- *January GFC meeting*

o whole day for all stakeholders, draft will be on website a week before

*2. Governmental Bureau meeting last week *

- on *structure of PrepCopm2*

o Adopted minutes of last meeting with criterias (with some changes)

o Karklins will ask to publish the abstract on www.WSIS.org.

o Discuss all issues but Internet Governance

o Starting maybe Thursday afternoon: follow-up etc. (fri, mon, tues, wed.)

§ Chair: Argentinian Delegation head from first phase (designated GRULAC 
head)

- On *Tunis** summit modalities*

o Criteria for events at WSIS 2005

§ No financial obligations for governments

§ Multistakeholder (open to all)

§ More or less like Geneva

o “Schema de Tunis” to be done at PC2

o will be more or less a replication of Geneva schema

o accreditation, how to get space, announce side-events etc. will be 
announced soon

o next bureau meeting (December 15^th ) Tunisia will present on that

- on *PrepCom3*

o PC3 will be in Geneva, that is clear now

o avoid overlap with major events in NYC (MDG+5, Sept 14^th , after 18th 
September is ministerial segment of UN-GA)

o PC3 probably at very end of August / beginning of September

o Not planning PC4

o WGIG report should be ready for PC3, couple of weeks needed for 
reading. Therefore, PC3 at end of September would be better.

* *

*3. Stocktaking*

- Reports on implementation will be presented at PC2

o stocktaking exercise by ITU

§ December 15^th as deadline for input to online questionnaire

o ITU will report from that at PC2.

- EU Commission is drafting for EU implementations, also reports on 
national level

*4. NGO / CS participation*

- Karklins: CS should do everything it can to mobilize and organize for PC2

- Important to keep up the spirit of NGOs

- Several initiatives for financing of NGOs’ participation

o Ben Ali (Tunisia), for the summit

o EU in same respect, led by EU reps in Tunis

o Renata needs more help on organizing CS funding for the PrepComs

- PC2 will be really stormy, so NGOs’ presence is needed!