[WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU reform consultation (1 Feb. 2006)

[Jean-Louis FULLSACK]

Many thanks to Renate for her interventions during this important meeting and to Philippe for his valuable report on it.
In fact statements and opinions expressed by ITU Members (especially Member States) reveal a kind of "Fort Knox" syndrom that opposes strongly on any opening of the Agency to CS people. Therefore I'm -and we all are- thankful to Switzerland to fully support the idea of opening the ITU to CS organisations.
It is an actual paradox to see the ITU struggle for saving its organisation, and some of its members strongly supporting this conservative line. The UN agency is on the verge of financial bankruptcy due to the miserliness of its Members, States as well as private sector, refusing to augment their membership fees (I refer to the calamitous debate during the Marrakech Plenipotentiary Conference), and therefore leaving the ITU obviously unable to meet its commitments in the WSIS follow-up. In effect, the lack of financial and human resources led to firing some 120 ITU staff members in the last three years and reduced accordingly the presence and activity of the Union in the field especially in DCs. So they do need some "external human resourres" and actual skills for trying to respect their commitments especially in the Action plan lines, in parralel to other commitments they are engaged in such as the "Istanbul Action Plan. Undoubfly, opening ITU to the CS organisaétions, particularly those involved in the ITC for Development domain, is probably the best answer for solvng these issues. This opening should however be completed by the creation of an "ITU Voluntary Corps" which would involve its numerous experts and consultants who would be willing to contribute to the achievement of some special goals such as access and infrastructure in DCs. At least these "very concrete" considerations should be in the heart of the debate during the 23-24 february meeting it is is to be really openminded.
Best regards and once again many thanks for your activity and information.
Jean-Louis Fullsack 



> Message du 02/02/06 17:27
> De : "CONGO - Philippe Dam" 
> A : plenary at wsis-cs.org, bureau at wsis-cs.org
> Copie à : rbloem at ngocongo.org
> Objet : [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU reform consultation (1 Feb. 2006)
> 
> 
 
Dear all, 
 
Please find below a summary of the discussion during the consultation on ITU Reform (1 February 2006, ITU, Geneva). With regard to better inclusion of civil society in the work of the ITU and although some delegations and Chairman Grin showed their reticence towards any change for better inclusiveness, two ideas were brought into the discussion:
 
-          Opening up of sector membership within ITU-D to civil society with no or much lower fees (Private sector, NGOs, and at the end of the meeting Syria).
-          New modalities for participation or consultation beyond / in addition to existing modalities for ITU membership (NGOs, Switzerland, Italy).
 
Information on this meeting: http://www.itu.int/reform/Council-Res-1244/index.html, http://www.itu.int/reform  
 
The on-line forum will remain open to collect new ideas on this issue (http://www.itu.int/jive/forum.jspa?forumID=428&start=0).  
 
Best regards
 
 
 
Consultation on ITU Reform
ITU Council WG on WSIS
1 February 2006
 
A few delegations expressed some general comments at the beginning of the meeting. Russia mentioned that WSIS would impact on the evolution of ITU terms of reference. New approaches should be considered for tackling WSIS action lines, and Russia insisted on the need to broaden ITU’s mandate to replicate all WSIS issues under the ITU. Syria later on also stated that Internet Governance issues should also be dealt with by the ITU. Ambassador Karklins answered to Russia that ITU should focus on its own mandate for themes and actions lines, though playing an important role in the implementation and follow-up process, based on ITU Council Decisions. He highlighted the need for deeper interactions to be established with civil society, NGOs and the private sector. 
 
Renate Bloem (Conference of NGOs) drew attention to the last-minute possibility for some non-ITU member NGO representatives to attend the meeting, stressing their willingness to also be much more deeply involved in this overall reflection on ITU reform. Syria answered that non State actors are already involved in the work of the ITU through Sector membership for more than 600 entities, provided that they pay their dues. 
 
ITU Vital Activities
There is quite an agreement to recognise that, although ITU-T (Telecommunication Standardisation) and ITU-R (Radio-communication) should not be abandoned, WSIS would have a strong impact on the work of ITU-D (Development), taking into account the provisions of WSIS outcomes and reconsidering the structures of this sector. Syria proposed that ITU-D should also deal with processing, in addition to infrastructures, and stressed that ITU-D should be in charge of Action Line 5 on security. Vanuatu and Japan stressed ITU-D role in bridging the digital divide. 
 
Canada and the USA pointed out the member driven approach and the importance of ITU member inputs. USA and Australia mentioned that a strong reference should be given to paragraph 64 of the Geneva Declaration of Principles to define the up-coming core activities of the ITU. 
 
ITU member Private Sector (Cisco System, Compass Rose) and non-for-profit (AfriNIC) highlighted the need for more strengthened relationships with other actors in the post-WSIS environment with private sector, small companies, civil society and NGOs to increase the inclusiveness and cooperation in the vital activities of the Union. On the question of membership fees, Compass Rose called for more consideration to the financial situation of potential members: ITU-D is a portal for sector members from developing countries, gender agencies, youth organisations, so that a new participation approach should be made more affordable for all and more efficient. 
 
ITU activities that must be cutback
Only minor activities should be abandoned, in line with the content of the ITU strategic, operational and financial plan to be adopted at the next Plenipotentiary Conference. Lower priority issues as established in this strategic plan would have to automatically be abandoned by the ITU, depending on available resources. 
 
Civil society participation
The first delegations to take the floor expressed their preference for a statu quo. Indeed Italy mentioned that ITU is already open to all legal entities, and that non members could also participate through their national delegations. Syria proposed that all civil society should appear under the appellation of sector members as well, with the same conditions for membership, including ITU rules for fee exemption when applicable. Max-Henri Cadet, head of ITU External Affairs Unit, clarified the various memberships and related fees (4.000 CHF for ITU-D Sector members, 2.000 CHF for ITU-D associate members) and the conditions for fees exemption (the entity must represent a specific value for the ITU), as well as why it is a ‘good investment’ for civil society to become ITU member. 
 
Renate Bloem underlined the change which had come to the ITU being the leading agency in the WSIS process and embracing the new multi-stakeholder approach. This approach was the logical consequence of former UN World Conferences of the 90ies, each time more open, reflecting thus a change of mindset in society and to some extent of the UN, as pointed out by Kofi Annan last week in Davos. The WSIS process had clearly raised the expectations of CS to also engage with the ITU in all follow up mechanisms. In order to do this the ITU needs to adopt some consultative arrangement with CS similar to other agencies. Membership fees – even the lowest – are still out of range for most of CS. The ITU, in wanting to help bridge the digital divide, would gain from civil society expertise on the ground and also from technical expertise in many areas. After WSIS it would be quite anachronistic for the ITU to fall back into its old patterns. 
 
Switzerland supported that point of view, stressing ITU should find its own way for civil society participation, taking into account ITU financial problems and in accordance with ITU rules. Civil society approach could indeed allow for more concrete and efficient projects for ITU. Chairman Grin distinguished CS in WSIS implementation and CS in core ITU sectors. Italy took the floor a second time to clarify that civil society views would be more useful in societal issues, which are more concentrated within ITU-D, whereas the other ITU sectors are much more technical in nature. Syria also proposed to evaluate further possibilities to better involve in WSIS implementation, which could be limited to ITU-D sector. WSIS implementation activities should also reinforce ITU capacity to build networks. Compass Rose (Private Sector) also supported a broader opening of at least ITU-D to civil society and small companies. 
 
William Drake (CPSR) highlighted that ITU is the only organisation both within and outside of the UN where civil society has so many access problems. He stressed that ITU membership should actually be changed in terms of fees and criteria. However civil society entities do not only want to be sector members but would like to be able to come in workshops  and conferences as observers in a more flexible way, without having any additional cost for the ITU. AfriNIC also supported additional ways of participation for civil society, beyond the current membership. That is what Chairman Grin interpreted as a willingness to participate without obligation. However the discussion opened some alternative options to membership for participation of civil society. 
 
Change in the name of ITU
Syria and Russia supported the change of ITU name, as proposed by the Arab Group, to adapt to new realities of the expended role of the organisation. But there was no support for such an initiative, because of the cost it would imply and the questioning of ITU well-established trademark.
 
External aspect: ITU activities to implement Summit decisions
Syria proposed that ITU should more focus on internet issues, because member states should play a leading role in this area. Syria suggested the organization of an ITU Internet Forum in April 2007 about the role of governments in the internet governance. 
 
There is a general agreement that ITU should have a leading role in only implementing the Action Lines and themes as defined on the Annex to the Tunis Agenda (Cisco, Latvia, Bulgaria). The ITU work program should reflect these key areas on specific projects that can be implemented with the available budget (Alcatel, Bulgaria). Ambassador Karklins (Latvia) insisted on the fact that ITU should not impose its leading role on issues which naturally belong to other organisations, but contribute and collaborate with international agencies. Referring to the up-coming meeting on 24 February, he also stressed that ITU should not infringe on the establishment of the leading facilitating role to be played by the ITU, UNESCO and UNDP, to be set up by the UN SG, and on the ECOSOC activities, which only belongs to member States. Chairman Grin, answering this remark, noticed that ITU, UNESCO and UNDP were asked by the UN SG to hold some consultation about that.
 
 
At the end of the meeting, Max-Henri Cadet announced the on-line open consultation forum would remain active for additional comments on the ITU reform from non ITU members. The ITU Secretariat will therefore continue to collect ideas in this regard, until better solution for civil society participation would be established within the ITU structures.
 
Philippe Dam
> CONGO - WSIS CS Secretariat 
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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
 
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> [ Consultation on ITU Reform 1-2-2006.doc (50.6 Ko) ]
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