[WSIS CS-Plenary] drastic changes to the proposed WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text
William Drake
wdrake at ictsd.ch
Sun Aug 28 15:36:16 BST 2005
Hi Parminder,
Thanks for moving this along. As you say, it's pressing, with just a couple of days to go (although of course we can raise it at the prepcom even if we don't get in a document prior). I suspect it might be difficult to get broad engagement and consensus quickly; it's not even entirely obvious if this is a process issue for the bureau or a substance issue for content and themes. In any event, I suspect it might improve the chances if we focus narrowly on your first point below and make a simple, one-point statement opposing removal of the existing language. The precise character of implementation teams and mechanisms, the idea of an IS implementation forum (in addition to the proposed IG forum?) and so on would take more dialogue and consensus building within CS, and it's not obvious that it'd be strategic to raise these at this stage. So FWIW, my suggestion would be that you draft a concise one paragraph statement on the first point, send it to the list, and see if it gets traction.
Best,
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of Parminder
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 3:59 PM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] drastic changes to the proposed WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text
Dear Bill, Jean-Loius, Bertrand, Robert and others,
Thanks for your valuable comments.
Do you think the CS can agree on a short statement that can be submitted to the GFC before the deadline of 31st, and then also be taken up by CS representatives that attend the 6th September meeting.
We can include the following points in the statement.
. The CS strongly opposes the move to make the proposed changes in paras 10, 11 and 29 of the operational part of the Tunis document, as per the document submitted by the chair of the GFC. These changes are too drastic and they do not represent the contributions of the various stakeholders to the existing text of the operational part of the Tunis document.
. The CS will also like to know the motivation and the reasons behind the move to dismantle the implementation mechanism based on stakeholder teams around action lines with a well-defined overall co-ordination body, as indicated in the paras 10 and 11 of the present text.
. The CS will like to see the present suggested mechanism improved through a multi-stakeholder consultative process to ensure that an adequate and necessary post-WSIS structure is in place, not only for implementing the outcomes of WSIS but also to take up Information Society (IS) issues as they come up.
. A global IS policy and implementation structure beyond WSIS is very important to put up, because many, existing and emerging, IS issues defy the existing mandates and jurisdictions of multi-lateral bodies.
. The implementation- follow-up of WSIS cannot be equated with that of other UN summits, because the nature of WSIS is very different from these other UN summits. All the earlier summits dealt with an existing problem/issue more or less fully formed, about which the global community needed to give a co-ordinated response. WSIS however is about an emerging context and opportunity, and most of its issues may be in the future, and often, definitionally, (as consisting a new societal arrangement implicit in the IS terminology used by WSIS), defying existing mandate and jurisdiction of global organisations.
. The WGIG recommendation for a multi-stakeholder 'forum' for IG issues, in its composition and the nature of functions, is a good format for setting up a WSIS implementation and follow-up structure.
If there is some general agreement around these points one of us can draft a statement, and others who agree can endorse.
Bertrand, is there a way to look for general endorsement of the CS, through a proposal by the caucus on implementation mechanisms.
To remind once again that we have only 3 days to send the written statements.
Regards
Parminder
_________________________________________________
Parminder Jeet Singh
IT for Change
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
91-80-26654134
www.ITforChange.net
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of William Drake
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 1:21 PM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] drastic changes to the proposed WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text
[Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire list. Kindly use individual addresses for responses intended for specific people. Your cooperation is highly appreciated]
_______________________________________
Hi Parminder,
Thanks for this, obviously very bad news that as you say requires a strong
and coordinated response by CS. We should make a statement soon, and at the
prepcom try to connect with governments that are reasonably like-minded on
implementation.
It is also interesting to read this in relation to two other items recently
discussed on plenary---the 12th hour interventions on the .xxx domain, and
the Bush Administration's equally 12th hour effort to rip up the entire
Millenium + 5 document and remove any discussion of the MDGs and development
funding commitments. You have to wonder what's going on here. One can
think of a very large number of cases in which last minute, radical changes
in negotiating positions, in the US but elsewhere as well, resulted from
process mismanagement, if not incompetence---e.g. earlier failures to get
agreement among relevant governmental power centers, or overreactions to
late push back from the private sector, legislatures, or other domestic
actors. While there's undoubtedly been an element of these dynamics in the
recent cases (most notably the .xxx thing, which in the US involved push
back from the religious far right), there's probably more to it than that.
Like the .xxx decision and the Millenium + 5 text, the proposals for WSIS
implementation mechanisms, including multistakeholder teams, have been on
the table for a long time, yet the governments involved never got up and
signaled that this is simply unacceptable to us. It's not plausible that
the 'need' to stop these decisions just dawned on them. One suspects that
this is by design, and that the negotiation strategy always has been to run
down the clock, create a crisis, and then leverage that. Any tiny last
minute concessions can then be presented as acts of great sacrifice to the
spirit of international consensus etc. This is long been the standard
practice in the WTO. In any event, it certainly undermines a lot of
previous effort, and any pretense of an open multistakeholder process.
Best,
Bill
> -----Original Message-----
> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
> Behalf Of Parminder
> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 7:19 PM
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] drastic changes to the proposed WSIS
> implementation mechanisms in the new text
>
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> The new text proposed by the chair of the GFC for paras 10, 11
> and 29 of the
> operational part of the Tunis document, which deals with the actual
> implementation and follow-up structures, carries some drastic changes. In
> effect, specific implementation structures consisting of multi-stakeholder
> teams around various actions lines, with overall co-ordination by a
> 'well-defined co-ordination body' as suggested in the existing text are
> sought to be completely removed.
>
> See http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1671|0 for
> the new draft.
>
> If this draft is accepted (as it most probably will be, unless strong
> opposition to it is articulated NOW), it would essentially mean NO real
> implementation and follow-up structures for WSIS. This will deny
> the world a
> much needed global Information Society (IS) policy (and implementation)
> forum, at which rapidly arising important IS issues could be taken up.
>
> What is surprising is that the approach taken in the new text, where
> implementation is subsumed under follow-up, is quite contrary to the
> declaration by the Chair of GFC in a recent meeting organised by ITU where
> he affirmed that "for the first time that there is an evolving
> understanding
> within the UN that the implementation process and follow-up must
> be seen as
> separate processes". These thoughts are also clearly articulated in the
> document 'food for thought' earlier distributed by the chair of GFC.
> http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1604|0
>
> I have prepared a comparison of the existing text and the proposed one, on
> the more relevant points, which I am enclosing here.
>
> The last date to give comments on the proposed text is 30th August. While
> there may be differences in views within the CS about which
> agencies should
> play a pivotal role in implementation-follow up, I expect most of us to
> agree on the point that the current drastic changes to the text, before
> substantive discussions are taken up at prepcom 3, are completely
> un-warranted. These changes are too far reaching for them to come in like
> this, almost surreptitiously, as a proposed revised text when most of the
> submissions to the earlier distributed draft on these points speak about
> strengthening these points rather than removing/replacing them.
> (please see
> http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1618|0 )
>
> Regards
>
> Parminder
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________
> Parminder Jeet Singh
> IT for Change
> Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
> 91-80-26654134
> www.ITforChange.net
>
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