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

Tue Nov 23 20:39:07 GMT 2004

Ralf,

Thanks for these notes, which are very helpful.  And thank you for  
initiating this meeting with Amb. Karklin's in Berlin.  A couple of  
important points:

The next meeting of the Group of Friends of the Chair will take place  
16-17 December meeting, and will only be open to government observers.  
The GFC will focus its agenda in the following structure, according to  
Amb. Karklins:
	- discussion of digital solidarity fund 1/2 day
	- discussion on Task Force on Financing Mechanisms 1/2 day
	- discussion on political chapeau 1/2 day
	- chapt 1 and 4 – implementation and followup – 1/2 day

Hopefully our friends on government delegations can keep us informed of  
how these draft documents are shaping up, and if the "political  
balance" has been restored.  At the end of the day, this is where the  
game is being played.

In addition, Amb. Karklins highlighted the importance of Prepcom II in  
February.  This meeting will discuss all issues EXCEPT internet  
governance, because the WGIG will not have completed its work yet.   
Most importantly, the modalities and structure of the actual Tunis  
summit will be agreed in February, including the arrangements for  
side-events, exhibitions, public participation, etc.  So it will be  
important for civil society to come to the second prepcom with concrete  
proposals ready about what we feel are adequate facilities and services  
to enable us to do our work.  (I.e. let us not repeat the debacle of  
expensive and unreliable internet access at the Geneva summit.)

These are CS Bureau questions, since they deal with CS participation  
modalities, so hopefully the bureau in Cape Town can spend some time  
discussing them.

Regards,

Rik Panganiban

On Nov 22, 2004, at 4:18 PM, Ralf Bendrath wrote:

> 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!
>
>
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===============================================
RIK PANGANIBAN       Communications Coordinator
Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations  
(CONGO)
web: http://www.ngocongo.org
email: rik.panganiban at ngocongo.org
mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524

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