Hello everyone,
 
As earlier mentioned, I seek your = endorsement and=20 support for Sean's call.
 
Warm regards,
 
Angela
 
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Sean O Siochru =
To: plenary@wsis-cs.org ; ct@wsis-cs.org =
Cc: bureau@wsis-cs.org
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 8:57 PM
Subject: [Bureau] John Gagain's note: Does Civil Society = Plenary not=20 exist?

Hi everyone

I think John's surprising note, and = the=20 position he takes in it on civil society structures, offers us an = opportunity to=20 remind ourselves of the basic progress we have made so far in civil = society.=20 This note is seeking your support on five basic point below. =

At=20 15:27 23/07/2003 -0400, John R. Gagain Jr. wrote [my = bold]:
 Concerning the modalities of the CS mechanisms at the = WSIS:=20
  1. CS Information Session and Debriefing. There does not exist a = forum=20 at the WSIS referred to as "Civil Society Plenary", nor was there = ever one=20 at any other U.N. sponsored Summit in the past.  A Plenary=20 signifies a fixed group of members or member states and the actual = official=20 definition is: 1. Complete in all respects, unlimited or full: a = diplomat=20 with plenary powers, 2. Fully attended by all qualified members: a = plenary=20 session of the council.  As you can see, Civil Society does = not=20 fulfill this definition or its prerequisites.  ....=20
  2. [snip] ... , as I mention above, there is no CS Plenary; and=20 especially not one that makes decisions on behalf of Civil Society.=20 T
    In one sense, it is refreshing to hear such definitive, = authoritative,=20 statements about how Civil Society is organised at the WSIS.  (Why = didn't=20 someone tell us this two years ago?)

    More seriously, though, I = cannot=20 accept that the 'Civil Society Plenary' meetings that I attended at = Prepcom 1 at=20 PrepCom 2, and that were held in Paris, did not in fact take place as = such, and=20 that these meetings had no authority to take decisions on behalf of = civil=20 society at the WSIS.  Such a claim, especially from a member of the = Civil=20 Society Bureau, really must be refuted.  As a member of the Bureau = myself,=20 this is certainly not an official view and this is the first time I have = heard=20 it aired.  

    (By the same token, John could even define = the=20 Bureau out of existence on the basis that one has never previously = existed at Un=20 conferences. Even more, since in reality, the SOLE source of legitimacy = for the=20 Bureau is the Civil Society Plenary, and since the Bureau itself has = explicitly=20 agreed it is subject to the Civil Society Plenary, then surely the = Bureau cannot=20 exist!)

    Nice and all as it is to fantasize, there are some = important=20 facts and achievements of civil society in the WSIS process that I think = are=20 worth reaffirming. 

    1. Civil Society has constituted itself = into a=20 Plenary at every convening of the WSIS, PrepComs, Intercessional, = Summits. It is=20 open to all of civil society members and of course any organisations is = free not=20 to participate.  But the great majority have chosen to.  It is = the=20 ultimate decision making body of civil society in relation to the = WSIS. =20

    2.  It has endorsed the existence of the Bureau, and the = Bureau has=20 agreed explicitly that it is subject to the Civil Society Plenary = Meeting and=20 must report to it regularly.

    3.  The CS Plenary Meeting has = endorsed the Content and Themes Group, which also reports to it.  = And it=20 has endorsed most if not all of the various caucuses, working groups and = so=20 forth.

    4.  The Civil Society Division of the Secretariat = serves the=20 Civil Society Plenary Meeting and anything the Plenary sets up,  = although=20 it can also provide support to any groups who choose not to associate = with the=20 Plenary.

    5.  Regarding the (currently important) operation = of the=20 CS Plenary between physical meetings, the following was agreed by the = Civil=20 Society Plenary at PrepCom 2 (extract from the Description of the=20 plenary@wsis-cs.org list) http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary"=20 eudora=3D"autourl">http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenar= y=20
    "The Civil Society Plenary Meeting, when convened, is the = source of=20 legitimacy for all civil society activities in the WSIS.=20
    Between PrepComs a 'Virtual CS Plenary Group' has been created=20 (plenary@wsis-cs.org), comprising organisations and other entities = accredited=20 and registered at both PrepComs to date, from civil society, although=20 organisations with a key interest in the issues but that are not part = of the=20 Summit process should also have the opportunity to participate.=20
    The list will not be a decision-making space, in the sense = that no=20 voting will be called for, but a space to promote greater debate = and=20 transparency in the organisation of Civil Society during the=20 summit."  [my bold]
    The CS-Plenary list = (plenary@wsis-cs.org)=20 was subsequently set up and now has over 250 registered, all of whom in = the=20 interests of accountability an transparency have registered their names = when=20 joining the list. Thus, the CS-Plenary list is a space to promote debate = and=20 transparency in civil society overall in between physically convened = Civil=20 Society Plenary groups.  I believe all major issues and proposals = should be=20 openly debated there before any decisions are taken by other groups, = such as the=20 Bureau and the Content & Themes Group. I also believe that many = decisions=20 must be reaffirmed at the opening Civil Society Plenary at PrepCom 3, if = there=20 have been widely different views expressed on it.

    This structure = may not=20 be perfect, but it is all we have, it has wide support, and has been = endorsed at=20 all major civil meetings and venues at the WSIS.  I really think at = this=20 point that we all have to be working from the same basics.  There = are too=20 many important issues facing us right now to run the risk of destroying = the=20 structures we have so painstakingly put together.

    I am = seeking=20 support for the above five points from those on this list as I = believe we=20 cannot be continually reinventing the past and must move forward. I will = also be=20 communicating on these matters within the Bureau.

    Very = best

    Sean=20


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