[WSIS CS-Plenary] [Press Release] Criticizing undemocratic preparatory process in WSIS Thematic Meeting held in Seoul (June 23 - 24, 2005)

[Ezendu Ariwa]

Thanks

ezendu

> Dear all,
>
> Below is Korean Civil society organizations' statement to the WSIS
> Thematic Meeting in Seoul.
> We, Korean Civil Society Organizations, criticize the undemocratic
> aspects of the Korean
> government's preparatory works and decision making process for this
> meeting.
>
> Please refer to below statement.
>
> Best,
> PatchA
>
> Korean Progressive Network'Jinbonet'
> International Coordinator
> Email) patcha at patcha.jinbo.net
> Website) http://www.jinbo.net
> Tel) +82-2-701-7687
> Fax) +82-2-701-7112
>
> ===============================================
> [Statement] Criticizing undemocratic preparatory process in WSIS
> Thematic Meeting held in Seoul (June 23 - 24, 2005)
>
>
> WSIS Thematic meeting on "Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Bridging
> the Digital Divide", co-organized by the Ministry of Information &
> Communication of Korea(MIC) and International Telecommunication
> Union(ITU) is held from June 23rd to June 24th in Seoul, South Korea.
> Since the first phase of WSIS 2003, building information society has
> become a global agenda. This year, when the 2nd phase of WSIS will be
> held in coming November, global discussion is focusing on internet
> related public policy issues and global digital divide. This event,
> WSIS Thematic meeting on "Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Bridging
> the Digital Divide", is also held as one part of the whole process of
> WSIS global discussion.
>
> As those people who are confronted with information society issues
> within society much more than any other society and also grappling with
> public policy issues which are addressed in this society, we are proud
> that our government is making this event and actively involved in
> global discussion. However, we are severely worried at some points such
> as its modality of communication, substantial discussion, and even some
> response direction when the MIC and its subsidiary organizations are
> bringing in its discourses on WSIS issues. Therefore, we, Korea Civil
> Society Network and its member organizations, feel the necessity to
> clarify our positions criticizing some problems which reveals in this
> WSIS Thematic Meeting.
>
> 1. Last the first phase WSIS in 2003, affirmed that in building
> information society, the participation, solidarity and cooperation of
> multi-stakeholders including government, private sector and civil
> society is essential in decision making process. (2003 WSIS Declaration
> of Principles). Furthermore, WSIS Korea Forum, which was formed by the
> MIC, its subsidiary institutes and civil society in 2003, also declared
> the principle position that "All players of public sector, private
> enterprises and civil society should make an effort together to form
> information society, in participating together in decision making
> process." (2003 WSIS Korea Forum Statement)
>
> 2. Therefore, we should express deep concern on the fact that this WSIS
> Thematic Meeting had never been publicly informed to all member
> organizations of WSIS Korea Forum. Also, there had been no discussion
> or consultation on its topic with civil society beforehand for this
> event. As a result, this event has been solely prepared by the MIC and
> KADO. We are deeply worried at this unilateral preparation process.
>
> 3. In this regard, many civil society members which are involved in the
> 2nd phase of WSIS,  particularly Asian civil society members are
> wondering why this Seoul event has not been publicly informed
> beforehand or consulted with civil society members. Now, they are
> asking these questions to our civil society members in Korea.
>
> 4. We feel some serious question at the fact that the disable people's
> organizations which have deep interest in information accessibility
> issues and so naturally to be consulted in preparation process because
> this event's main topic is to bridge the digital divide, but are
> completely excluded. Furthermore, most global  civil society
> organizations, who are actively participating in 2005 WSIS process,
> would have had to be contacted and provided with appropriate
> information for this event. But it is not the case. We think this is
> clearly a big mistake.
>
> 5. We don't see this wrong behavior had not been taken just from
> administrative mistakes or immature attitude for international
> activities. Rather, we think that this wrong attitude fundamentally
> comes from the present government's persistent policy position that
> most public policy issues should be handled and led by governments or
> government-related organizations rather than accepting de facto global
> consensus and policy principles that close cooperation, solidarity and
> participation of multi-stake holders in decision making process are
> necessary for building information society.
>
> 6. Korea government had fundamentally changed the private sector
> initiating self-regulation mechanism for managing internet address
> schemes which had been evolved throughout our internet development
> history and  replaced it with state governing mechanism by making
> "Internet Addressing Scheme Regulation Law". Recently, the MIC has
> adopted the reinforced governmental regulation framework over broadband
> internet service. Moreover, the MIC has taken up coherently ignoring
> users and netizens' public opinion which have been shown in the public
> debates on broadband internet pricing issue and mobile phone pricing
> issue on value added services. As an ICT policy authority, these
> attitudes are definitely very disappointing and unacceptable.
>
> 7. We express our deep worry over this MIC's unilateral, closed and
> undemocratic working style and attitudes. And this is fundamentally
> reversing the essence of WSIS declaration principles which are
> emphasizing the democratic decision making process. Furthermore, we
> should point out the flaw of the MIC's argument that the governmental
> initiating role for setting public policy of information society tends
> to be reinforced at global level. Such an argument is very far away
> from today's global landscape of information society in the world.
>
> 8. We should point out that the MIC, preoccupied with the task of ICT
> industry development, has no concern on information society's societal
> issues at all and less concerned with encouraging the participation and
> cooperation of multi-stake holders including civil society. Even in
> international relations, the MIC, solely preoccupied with expanding the
> export market of ICTs although it seems to be very short-sighted, are
> not so active in playing constructive role for building global
> information society and its governance mechanism. By arguing solely
> state-led governance mechanism which seems to be already outdated, we
> think, the MIC is rather defaming its status as one of pioneer
> countries in ICT fields and building information society.
>
> 9. Therefore, we clarify that this WSIS Thematic Meeting, which has
> been prepared by the MIC and KADO is just government event and
> practically excluding most of those discriminated people in digital
> divide environment and other civil society organizations who are
> working for the advocacy of those victims. In fact, it has nothing to
> do with the multi-stake holder participation and cooperation. We hope
> again that the MIC would open up all decision making process
> transparently. And we urge that the MIC would support to form or
> enhance the self-regulatory mechanism at the part of private sector and
> civil society rather than over-extending governmental regulatory scope
> and to ensure the democratic participation structure so that all stake
> holders could actively participate in.
>
> June 23, 2005
>
> Citizen's Action Network
> Cultural Action
> Intellectual Property Left
> Korean Federation for Environmental Movement
> Korean LaborNet
> Korean Progressive Network 'Jinbonet'
> Korea Women's Associations United
> Korean WomenLink
> Mediact
> PeaceNet
> Research Institute of the Differently Abled Rights in Korea
>
>
>
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