[WSIS CS-Plenary] Notes on Sub-cttee B, 1300-1600 hrs, 14 Nov

[Rik Panganiban]

WSIS Resumed Prepcom III
14 November, 1300-1600

Sub-Committee B (Follow-up and All Other Issues)

Notes by Rik Panganiban, CONGO



Negotiations resumed on remaining bracketed text.

On  “transfer of technology” Chair: Para 10  (DT26) – Delete “on  
preferential terms”
Para 20, 21 in Financing section (DOC7) – delete reference to  
“transfer of technology”
Para 20A (DOC7)  add “on mutually agreed terms”
Agreed.

Para 32 on “digital solidarity agenda”  (DT12)
Chair: add “where appropriate” to para after “developing countries”
Agreed

Para 33 deleted

Para New 27B (Doc7)  “social responsibility”
Chair: Delete new 27B from G77, take off brackets around Alt New 27B  
from UK with “social”
Agreed.

Para 4-5 (DT12)
Norway and Ghana led negotiations on this text.  We will continue  
consultations on para 11N.

Para 9 (DT12)
Linked to Para 18, 19 in DT26
Remove brackets around para 9
Delete “along w the leading role of governments” in Para 18
Para 19 delete brackets on “based on national experiences”

EU: We don’t like language on “lead role of governments”
US: We think that we lose an opportunity if we don’t use this summit  
to move beyond the narrow view of the role of the various stakeholders.
Chair: I ask US and Egypt lead a small group to work on this.

Para 24 ( DT12) “Gender Equality in Information Society” – Agreed.

Para 35 (DT26) “Information Society Day”
US: Shouldn’t we ask the General Assembly to declare May 17 as World  
Information Society Day”
Agreed with this change.

Para 37 (DT12) “Commit to mobilize resources”
“We recognize the need and we strive to mobilize resources”
Chair: Let’s park this for now.

Para 11d and Alt D (DT26) “training for girls and women”
Proposal: Promoting effective training and education for girls and  
women, particularly in ICTs sciences and technology that motivates  
their full participation in the Information Society.

Canada: What about decision-making of women?
Alt D agreed.

Para 13 (DT26) on “child helplines”
Australia: Prefer Alt 13 without text on “alternative resources”
Russian proposal: “We encourage countries, including all interested  
parties, to make available child help-lines taking into account the  
need for mobilization of appropriate resources. For this purpose,  
easy-to-remember numbers, accessible from all phones and free of  
charge, should be made available.”
Agreed to Russian proposal.

Paras 23-30B (DT26) “International level implementation”
Chair : Canada and Russian Federation leading a group on this.
Canada: we are close to agreement.  We have agreed that the annex stays.
Chair: Ask Canada and Russia to keep working on this.

Para 31 (DT26) “ICT Indicators”
Remove brackets.
Para 31A-31C  - Agreed

Finished consideration of bracketed texts.


Summary of DT 12 "Tunis Commitment”
Para 3: parked.
Para 4-5  Norway and Iran working on this.
Para 8: The Tunis “compact”?
Para 9: US and Egypt working on this.
Para 37: still parked.

Summary of Doc 7: financial mechanisms
Para 20 and 20A – agreed.
Alt 27B from UK agreed

Summary of DT26 on Implementation and Followup
Chair: Let us call this “Tunis Agenda for Action” – Agreed.
Para new 7A deleted.
Para 10 agreed.
Para 11 Alt D.  Agreed.
Para 13: agreed on text from Russia with alt 13.
Para 15 agreed.
Para 23-30B: a group is working on this.
Para 31-31A-C: agreed
Para 35: Agreed.


Para 37 (DT12) on “mobilizing resources”
Pakistan: “we recognize the need for and strive to ..”

[stepped out for 20 minutes]

Para 4 and 5 (DT12) on human rights
Introduced new 4 and 5 from Norway, Iran and Ghana:
“We re-affirm paragraphs four (4), Five (5) and Fifty-five (55) of  
the Geneva Declaration of Principles, [and in furtherance of such  
recognize the freedom to generate, seek, receive and impart  
information, knowledge and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers.

a) We deem such rights increasingly key to development and to  
pluralistic, prosperous and socially stable societies; at the  
national, as well as international levels.

b) We thus commit ourselves to promote and protect the freedom of  
expression, including the media

c) We recall and recognize that the freedom of expression carries  
with it duties and responsibilities, in conformity with national  
legislation and consistent with international law.”


Debate ensued on “in conformity with internatioanl law.”  Entire text  
in brackets.

Chair’s Summary of Status of Texts
Document 7 : text agreed.

DT12: We are left with the following paras: clean up para 3, finish 4  
and 5 and 11N.  Para 9 led by US and Egypt.

DT 26: Para 11N being looked at.  Para 18 and 19 linked to para 9 in  
DT12.  Paras on follow-up mechamisn left.

Sub-committee B will resume meeting from 1900 – 2100 hours tonight.

The President of the Prepcom clarified the rest of the schedule for  
today:
	4-6pm Sub committee A

	7-9pm Sub committee B

	8:30-10pm Sub committee A



  Please see http://www.ngocongo.org/ngomeet/WSIS/Prepcom3b/ 
prepcom3reports.htm for reports from other meetings of Prepcom III.


===============================================
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

* Information on the WSIS at http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis
* Submit NGO Events to http://www.ngoevents.org


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