[WSIS CS-Plenary] GFC and updt Logistics list for PC2

[Renata Bloem]

Dear ALL,

 

I take this opportunity to convey that I started working for CONGO, as
Officer WSIS CS Secretariat, as Renata has extensively explained in a
previous e-mail.

 

In this capacity while catching up with specific issues related to the CS at
large, I started being operational already as I have a solid background in
information-gathering, media relations and event management, as well as a
strong understanding of the WSIS process (Media Officer during WSIS 2003).

 

Following meetings we had this week at ITU (to be continued), please find
attached a LOGISTICS LIST I put together, with first-hand info available at
this stage, as well as how yr needs formulated in various occasions within
the CSB are going to be met by the Secretariat (ITU jointly with the UN
facilities). On this document all requests submitted so far to CONGO were
deleted (in order to facilitate reading and e-mail txm, we kept only the
ones from Robert Guerra to be retrieved in Italics). We welcome yr feedback
on this document, and MOREOVER we expect precise requests from yr side in
order to better formulate our demands to the Secretariat (e.g. provisional
number of people attending, WGs, Caucuses (URGENT need to know how many),
speakers if already decided, etc). 

 

Also attached, our report on the 4th meeting of the GFC (English-French),
held in Geneva between 10–11 January 2005. Updated version (including
changes submitted by various contributors, including CONGO) already posted
on the WSIS/ITU website. http://www.itu.int/wsis/gfc/index.html

 

As we’ve experienced some server glitches ydy, please find the
above-mentioned docs as attachments and subsequently as text (non-attached).

 

Further should you require more information on any of the above, please do
not hesitate to contact me at:

 

Adina Fulga Radi

CONGO Officer WSIS CS Secretariat

+ 41 22 310 10 00

+ 41 78 703 37 36

adinafulgaradi at yahoo.com (until being assigned an official e-mail address,
will use personal coordinates)

 

Looking forward to hearing from you,

 

With my very best regards,

Adina Fulga Radi

CONGO Officer WSIS CS Secretariat

 

 

4th Meeting Group Friends of the Chair GFC 10 January 2005

Report

 

 

The PrepCom 2 of WSIS, Tunis phase started with the 4th meeting of the Group
Friends of the Chair (GFC), held on 10 and 11 January 2005 at Room XVIII,
Palais des Nations. The meeting on Mon 10 Jan 2005 was open to all WSIS
stakeholders: government delegations, international organizations,
observers, private sector and the civil society. On Tue 11 Jan 2005, the GFC
held a closed meeting, open only to GFC nominated members, as well as to
governmental observers. The 4th GFC Meeting was chaired by H.E. Ambassador
Janis Karklins, President of the Preparatory Committee, by Yoshio Utsumi,
ITU SG and by Charles Geiger, WSIS ES Executive Director.

 

The working documents (as following) for the meetings were submitted to
comments and contributions by all stakeholders:

 

*     Political Chapeau /Tunis Commitment

*     Operational part of the final document / Tunis Agenda for Action /
Tunis Plan of Implementation (with the Report of the TFFM – 125 pages.pdf
English version only - submitted ONLY on Jan 4, which made screening and
contributions difficult for some delegations complaining about the tight
deadlines and asking for more time to evaluate the report and further
contribute to the text)

 

Participants in the meeting agreed to work on the TFFM (summary available
within the Chapter 2 of the Operational part of the final document) report
and on the Political Chapeau  in the afternoon.

 

The morning meeting covered the Operational part of the final document
(Chapter 1 and 4, as Chapter 3 on IG will be resumed following release of
the final report of the WGIG ).

 

The following stakeholders have made contributions/comments/suggestions to
the present text (all participants were requested to submit their
contributions to the Secretariat in order to be included in the new text, so
all changes made should be available ASAP): Brazil, Luxembourg, Switzerland,
Canada, El Salvador, USA, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, UNCTAD, UNECE,
CONGO, CSDPTT, CCBI.

 

The following summarizes the discussions focusing on the most important
issues raised:

 

*      Introducing of “in-build time-bound measures (of e.g. yearly progress
reports) as benchmarks; 2008 (subject to change) in the text is a
provisional target date marking just some ES ambitions (CONGO) (pls refer to
full CONGO intervention here below)

*      Accent on implementation and development strategies (“South-South
should be enhanced in order to foster knowledge sharing” - Brazil) (to be
left to regions to decide on modalities) (UNECE, El Salvador)

*      Education and social dimension emphasized (Algeria, El Salvador,
Luxembourg) while “promoting public policies aimed at providing accessible
hardware & software to populations leaving in rural areas” (Brazil)

*      Chapter 10 and 11 (and its alternate) on “an implementation mechanism
for the Geneva Plan of Action” raised many discussions as to where to have a
single Body (Task Force) (to be  created/ to be defined by the UNSG) and a
single report on the WSIS process or joining “in synergy” the existing UN
agencies and bodies follow-up within the process

*      The Geneva Plan of Action identifies international performance
evaluation and benchmarking “taking into account different national
circumstances” (submitted by the US, supported by Iran “taking into account
different level of development”)

*      Linkages between telecommunications and energy (ITU and UNEP) should
be emphasized in the text considering the present int’l crisis and natural
disasters (CSDPTT)

*      New wording and bracketing were proposed on punctual issues (to be
considered when new text available)

*      All UN agencies and the EU are free to include WSIS meetings’
outcomes in their reports

 

The afternoon discussions focused on the TFFM and the Political Chapeau. 

 

Here below Summary issues on the TFFM report submitted by the following
stakeholders: Canada, Brazil, USA, Luxembourg, India, Iran, El Salvador,
Russia, CCBI, ENSTA, CSDPTT:

 

*      Impossibility to conclude discussions on this Chapter (2) as many
delegations request postponement of deadline due to lack of time to prepare
submissions (in contradiction with rules of procedure which requires
submission of contributions 4 weeks PRIOR to the PC2 (mandatory!!!)).
Proposal by the Chair: to revisit the FM after meeting in Accra and before
PC2, leaving delegations more time of reflection on possible suggestions,
comments, contributions. Results to be submitted to the Chair (in the week
beginning Feb 7, with the understanding that any major development should be
brought before PC2) 

*      DSF, the Digital Solidarity Fund to be readdressed within further
consultations, though no specific requests by the Task Force were mentioned

*      Urge for more action/market-oriented text (Canada)

*      “Create policies and regulatory incentives to operate software to
provide wide-spread Internet access at affordable prices” (Brazil)

*      Support Brazilian and Canadian suggestions and call for emphasizing
the important role of responsibility from all stakeholders (Iran)

*      Request for presenting exact cost for “bridging the digital divide”
(even provisional one), but some figure needed, as NO actual cost mentioned 

*      Pls refer to full CONGO intervention here below

 

 

For the Political Chapeau the following stakeholders have expressed their
suggestions: Luxembourg, Algeria, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Canada, El
Salvador, WHO, CONGO, ENSTA, CCBI. Here below few of the most important
ones:

 

*      Replace in Chapter New 1 bis “the Tunis Summit represents a unique
moment in the history of mankind” by “opportunity for us to
” as unique
moment in history mankind should be left to moments really
 unique
(supported by most speakers)

*      Better topic (logical) in Chapter 1 (Luxembourg) 

*      Inclusion of physical and mental health (CONGO) (pls refer to full
CONGO intervention here below)

*      Request by Tunisia to restate previous para 11 & 12 from the December
text (removed in the present text) even if only for backgrounders

*      Request by Egypt to restate previous para 17 from the December text
(removed in the present text)

*      Promote open (“universal and ubiquitous”) access to science and
education available to everyone (Algeria, Canada, US)

*      More openness, inclusiveness and transparency in order to comply with
the MDGs (CCBI)

 

 

General remarks by ITU SG Yoshio Utsumi:

 

The Draft on the Final Document of the second phase of the World Summit on
the Information Society, though balanced, does not include the “disaster
dimension” (even if the upcoming Kobe Summit will address the issue). In the
SG’s views the document is far from touching the actual reality of the
world, “it does NOT attract world leaders to commit”, focusing only on
procedural framework (except for FM). Yoshio Utsumi committed to send his
proposals to the Chair and the WSIS ES asap.

 

Very solid and engaged contributions to both Political Chapeau and to
operational Part of the Final Document of the second phase of the World
Summit on the Information Society were submitted by Francis Muguet (ENSTA)
and by Jean-Louis Fullsack (CSDPTT) (their comments to be sent
individually).

 

Please find here below the CONGO intervention during the 4th meeting of the
Group Friends of the Chair (GFC), held on 10 January 2005, at Room XVIII,
Palais des Nations, Geneva.

http://www.itu.int/wsis/gfc/docs/4/statements/CONGO.pdf

 

Reported by

Adina FULGA RADI, CONGO Officer WSIS ES Secretariat

Philippe DAM, CONGO Assistant Coordinator


 

 

 

 

PC2 Logistics requests by CONGO, on behalf of CS

Meeting Danièle Boccard – 11 January 2005 ITU Building

 

 

*       Room 531 / NGO Office has been assigned to the CS on the 5th floor,
Palais des Nations. The NGO Office will be equipped with: 
 
*       1 fix PC
*       1 laptop
*       1 phone line (local calls ONLY, NO mobile, NO int’l calls)
*       1 printer
*       1 copy machine
*       Office supplies will be provided by CONGO
 
*       Room XXII has been assigned to CS meetings/Plenary for the entire
PC2. The Room (capacity 104 people) is equipped with wi-fi and W-lan (among
the rooms available for PC2 for ALL stakeholders, XXII is the ONLY
conference room in the Palais equipped with wi-fi and W-lan). Translation
E/F/S will be provided at all times. This room will host ALL CS Plenary
Sessions as well as some of the Caucuses and other meetings (upon request).
Full timetable will be available as soon as ALL requests are made (AND SENT)
to CONGO. An ORIENTATION SESSSION will be held in Room XXII on 14 Feb 2005,
14h00 – 16h30 (Translation E/F/S provided) followed by various WGs. Plan
access and ALL useful information to be distributed during the Orientation
Session (info also to be sent by e-mail prior to PC2).
 
*       WI-FI  W-LAN available in Room XXII and in the Cybercafé. Please
kindly note that you have to purchase own access cards (CISCO recommended by
ITU) prior to arrival on the venue as NO vending points in the Palais (cards
are to be found at the ITU Bookshop). NO cards available free of charge.
*      It is NOT possible (at this stage) to install “several” Wireless
access points in order to reach ALL meeting rooms, plenary and outside areas
at all times.
 
*       Cybercafé space - Cybercafé (AVAILABLE FOR ALL, NOT ONLY FOR NGOs)
will be installed behind the Assembly General, in the HALL XIII – XV
(opposite “Salle des pas perdus”). The Cybercafé will be equipped with 35
PCs and 30 laptops.
*      CONGO is in the process of negotiating with ONU/DPI/Technical
Conferences & Services the feasibility of installing a permanent Cybercafé
in the NGO lounge (long-term operability subject to complex official
procedures).

 

*       Hotel negotiations discount rates (we could negotiate provided we
have some fixed – and not pencil - booking, as of 100 persons
 etc).

 
*      NGOs could use the discounted rates hotel list provided by ITU
http://www.itu.int/travel/  or CONGO Accommodation List (to be circulated
separately)
 

*       Free Copy machine, stapler, paper, office supplies   

 

*      See NGO Office, office supplies provided by CONGO

 

 

 

*       Internet Access - non-proxied & DMZ (all techie terms) access that
allows for VPN and other secure connections (such as SSH, SSL, etc) will
need to be set-up and configured. The Switch and Wireless access points
mentioned above need to be connected to this non-proxied access.
*       Power - CICG was nice in that electrical power could be found
throughout. All the rooms had power, as did the delegate chairs in the
plenary room. I would hope this is the same in Palais - if not, it needs to
be resolved.
Need more info from Robert Guerra on EXACT needs (request made by ITU System
and Network Administrator, who confirmed ITU will open gates to SSH, SSL,
etc outside the UNOG firewall, which will have less restrictions than own
network). Need more info from Robert on EXACT needs (request made by ITU
System and Network Administrator). 

 

 

An update version of this LOGISTICS LIST will be available ASAP.

 

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me:

Adina FULGA RADI

CONGO Officer WSIS CS Secretariat

+ 41 22 310 10 00

+ 41 78 703 37 36

adinafulgaradi at yahoo.com

 

 

 

Renate Bloem
President of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO)
11, Avenue de la Paix
CH-1202 Geneva
Tel: +41 22 301 1000
Fax: +41 22 301 2000
E-mil:  <mailto:rbloem at ngocongo.org> rbloem at ngocongo.org
Website: www.ngocongo.org <http://www.ngocongo.org/> 

 

The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international, membership association
that facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and
decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major objective is to ensure the
presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and United
Nations agencies on issues of global concern.  For more information see our
website at www.ngocongo.org <http://www.ngocongo.org/> 


Reminder: CONGO Postal Address Has Changed


We will soon be unable to receive mail at our old address at the Palais des
Nations in Geneva.  So please make sure to update your records with CONGO's
new Geneva office postal address: CP 50, 1211 Genéve 20, Switzerland.  Our
physical office address is 11, Avenue De La Paix, 1st Floor, 1202 Genéve,
Switzerland.

 

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