Dear Angela,
I am sorry that I did not did not respond to this before. Isis has infact=20
gone ahead with the NGO Gender Strategies Working Group to endorse the five=
=20
points that Sean proposed with some slight modification to Point 3. We do=
=20
think it is vital at this point to support Sean's proposal since the Civil=
=20
Society Plenary is an important space to maintain in as democratic a space=
=20
as possible. I would encourage the AP Caucus to give support to Sean's=
call.
More later,
Susanna
At 09:32 AM 7/25/2003 +0800, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>I thought it best to share this with the caucus. I think it's important to=
=20
>understand the context and I will be next forwarding Sean's five points as=
=20
>mentioned in his e-mail below. I seek your views on this matter and if as=
=20
>Asia Pacific, we would like to support Sean's call.
>
>Warm regards,
>
>Angela
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:sean@nexus.ie>Sean O Siochru
>To: <mailto:bureau@geneva2003.org>bureau@geneva2003.org ;=20
><mailto:bureau@wsis-cs.org>bureau@wsis-cs.org
>Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 7:44 PM
>Subject: John's note on Civil Society Plenary
>
>To: Members of the Bureau,
>
>I totally agree with Renata that we need to build on trust in the=20
>Bureau. But this is also why I believe that John Gagain is severely out=20
>of order in the note he has sent around to Bureau members, to the CS=20
>Plenary List and to the Content Themes Group list. I do not at all=20
>question his motives, but trust also involves respecting previous=20
>decisions and working from the same basics.
>
>John has stated in no uncertain terms (copied below) that he believes that=
=20
>the Civil Society Plenary, as it has been constituted at WSIS meetings,=20
>does not in fact exist, and that (if it did) it has no authority to take=20
>decisions on behalf of civil society.
>
>I was not at the Bureau meeting and have not seen the minutes, so I cannot=
=20
>comment on the issue of Chairing the Bureau. But I do believe that it is=
=20
>entirely out of order for any member, let alone a purported=20
>Co-Chairperson, of the Civil Society Bureau to claim that the entity from=
=20
>which the Bureau ultimately derives its legitimacy does not exist.
>
>Such a statement, especially made so publicly by the purported Chair of=20
>the Bureau, is highly provocative and risks discrediting the entire=20
>efforts of civil society to develop a credible and coherent presence at=20
>the WSIS.
>
>I believe that the Bureau must disassociate ourselves clearly from this=20
>statement, in equally certain terms. I greatly regret that John has sent=
=20
>this around, and I believe it will inevitably damage the credibility of=20
>the Bureau in the eyes of civil society.
>
>In another note that I am sending in response to John on the other lists,=
=20
>I note five points that I thought had been agreed between us all. I=20
>believe that the Bureau must also affirm these, or similar. We must work=20
>from the same assumptions if we, and civil society as a whole, is to=20
>retain credibility.
>
>Sean
>
>John wrote (my bold):
> * 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=20
> one at any other U.N. sponsored Summit in the past. A Plenary signifies a=
=20
> 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=20
> plenary session of the council. As you can see, Civil Society does not=20
> fulfill this definition or its prerequisites.
> * ...
> * ... as I mention above, there is no CS Plenary; and especially not=20
> one that makes decisions on behalf of Civil Society. This idea would=20
> never work especially due to the fact that the composition of Civil=20
> Society at the WSIS is always changing from meeting-to-meeting,=20
> session-to-session; and is never consistent. Please see the definition=20
> of Plenary above.
>
>
>___________________________________________________
>Se=E1n =D3 Siochr=FA Central office: tel: +353 1 473 0599 fax: +353 1 473=
0597
>NEXUS Research Mobile: +353 87 20 48 150
>14 Eaton Brae Direct office tel: +353 1 272 0739 fax: +353 1 272 0034
>Shankill
>Co. Dublin e-mail: sean@nexus.ie
>Ireland Web site: http://www.iol.ie/nexus
>
>
>----------
>
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