AW: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [Wsis-pct] IPJ: US & Japan Upset Consensus for Development Agenda at WIPO

[Ralf Bendrath]

Good points, Rainer and Wolfgang. The special position of the US in many
regards (WIPO, UNESCO, IG) is an interesting phenomenon and needs more
discussion.

Wolfgang Kleinwächter wrote:
> And more will come. Looking forward, I see a great conflict between G
> 20 + China and US on IG during PrepCom3, PrepCom3+ and PrepCom3++
> without any agreement in Tunis. My two scenarios for Tunis are: 
 > a. failure with a continuation of the discussion and
> b. failure without a continuation of the discussion.

The difference is: In UNESCO and WIPO, this all is taking place within the
UN context and in order to change the policy of a UN organization (which
indirectly would change policy of member states). ICANN is different, as
there the US can just stand still and do nothing. They do not even need
veto power, as the other governments have no real decision-making power.
Therefore, if we want the US to leave WIPO and/or UNESCO, we are weakening
multilateral structures. We will then not be able to ask for a more
internationalized (W)ICANN. The US will never join it. They never even 
joined the WGIG.

What is still not really clear to me: What is the position of the EU or
Japan to these issues? And does it count?

Ralf