Hello everyone,
Last April 8-11, I attended a Pacific WSIS consultation in Suva, Fiji. I
think the meeting was quite fruitful in expanding and strengthening Pacific
in the WSIS process. I have since subscribed to the Pacific WSIS list and
would like to share this posting regarding a WSIS Bureau meeting held last
April 15.
best,
Chat
-----Original Message-----
From: m-kondo@soumu.go.jp [mailto:m-kondo@soumu.go.jp]
Sent: Tuesday, 22 April 2003 8:48 p.m.
To: aptwsis@aptsec.org
Subject: Fw: Summary of WSIS bureau meeting on 15 April, 2003
Dear all,
I recieved a note of bureau meeting on 15 April as follow:
(For your information)
As you see, it seems the meeting was quite confusing.
I personally do not want to attend this kind of meeting.
KONDO Masanori
MPHPT, Japan
******************************
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> After five and a half hours of turning round in circles we managed to
> arrive at a compromise - of sorts - based on the Pakistani proposal
> for the intersessional mechanism! Our Grulac-friends surprised us by
> distributing a counter proposal at the bureau meeting, which no one
> knew about in advance - which did not help, since it contained
> elements, which would have been very difficult to accept or even
> modify.
>
> The compromise is as follows:
>
> 1. The way forward
>
> a) Refinement of the Draft Basic documents by the intersessional
> mechanism based on the membership of the Bureau under the guidance of
> the President, in consultation with the Chair or the Working group of
> Prep.Com.2 and with the help of the Executive Secretariat.
>
> (Initial/Further have been removed, since there will be no refinement
> of the March 21 text by the intersessional mechanism, since the March
> 21 text will be the basis on which all comments are exptected to be
> either put on the web/sent electronically or forwarded to the
> Secretariat. (US proposal)
>
> b) In order to effectively implement the decision of Prep.Com2, the
> intersessional mechanism may hold informal, open ended (Mexico)
> consultations (with all interested countries and other stakeholders,
> particularly the private sector) to clarify but not alter the
> substance of the documents. (US+Mexican wording)
>
> There was a long discussion as to the purpose of these meetings, if
> they can only concentrate on the refinement (editing; format) of the
> text. Samassekou will have the initiative in the organization of these
> consultations - including when they should be held. - At our
> insistance, this para is still in the text, but needs further
> discussion - especially on the modalities. No exact time/date/deadline
> is set (US proposal).
>
> c) Documents refined by the intersessional mechanism will serve as the
> basis for drafting at Jyly meeting to be held in Paris on 15-18 July
> 2003.
>
> d) Comments from all partners sought until end May - and may be
> submitted electronically (US proposal), wtih preparation of Reference
> Documents by the Executive Secretariat.
>
> 2. Time Table
>
> a) Initial refinement of basic documents by intersessional mechanism
> (deleted)
>
> b) and c) Informal open ended consultations (deleted, since no time
> was set). Remains in the text above.
>
> d) reformulated: Integration of comments from all partners into the
> reference document. (Pakistan) (by 10 June) - Based on comments on the
> March 21 text and received by 31 May.
>
> e) reformulated: Consideration of comments of all partners and final
> refinement of Basic Documents by the intersessional mechanism as
> mandated by Prep.Com. 2 (Pakistan). (meeting 10 June)
>
> f) Submission of Basic and Reference Documents to all partners and
> posting them on the website ((June 16)
>
> There was a long discussion on point e) on what the interpretation of
> of this para is. At our insistance 'the intersessional mechanism' is
> NOT the bureau but 'based on the membership of the bureau'. Since this
> brought us back to square one - and the discussion at the previous
> bureau meeting - Samassekou decided to take it upon himself to consult
> with regional groups on the open questions: who will attend/be
> invited, how long the meeting should be, what form it should take etc.
> - There were proposals by US, France, Switzerland as to the practical
> 'refinement' of the text - by the executive secreteriat - including
> the incorporation of 'options' and a matrix format used by the ITU (US
> proposal). There was broad acceptance around the table but Grulac
> could not accept giving the secretariat this mandate.
>
> This same interpretation of the 'Intersessional mechanism 'would then
> - logically have to be applied to b) of 'The way forward', because
> these are the only two paras, where the 'intersessional mechanism'
> still appears.
>
> Dear colleagues - this is my very personal interpretation of what took
> place yesterday, which was one of the most confusing meetings I have
> attended for a long time!
>
> Since by this time it was already 8.30 pm, it was decided that all
> the other points on the agenda would be discussed at the next bureau
> meeting to be held on 19 May, 2003 in the afternoon.
>
>
> The only thing remaining - until we meet again - is to wish you a very
> restfull and enjoyable easter vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chat Garcia Ramilo
Project Manager
Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support
Programme, (APC WNSP)
http://www.apcwomen.org http://www.apc.org
chat@apcwomen.org
Manila, PHILIPPINES