Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 13:02:53 +0700 From: "Anoop-focus" <anoop@focusweb.org> Subject: [communication 963] Re: Giving Asia Caucus support to key issues at the WSIS To: <communication@wsisasia.org> Message-Id: <008f01c396cf$cef58760$0a01a8c0@anoop> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20031020125835.01ff1ba0@202.57.74.189> X-Mail-Count: 00963Dear Susanna and all, I would agree with the fact that the Asia Caucus needs to have much =greater visibilty.I would like to list down the following issues 1. Communications rights, specifically with respect to the right of =community control over airwaves (community radio etc). I would think of =subsuming Internet governance as a subset of the right to communicate, a =key subset nevertheless.2. Intellectual property rights, focusing on TRIPs and GATS within and =outside the WTO framework, including bilateral agreements and free trade =agreements(FTAs)3. Right to Development, particularly models of development that =challenge existing paradigms of development policy4. Gender5. surveillance issuesP.s I assume you meant 4th nov for circulation of comments?Anoop ----- Original Message ----- From: Susanna George To: communication@wsisasia.org Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 12:26 PM Subject: [communication 962] Giving Asia Caucus support to key issues =at the WSIS Dear all, Salaams and warm greetings to all! This message is not related to the =previous messages and for this I apologise. I am posting it today, =because of the lack of time in order to accomplish what I am going to =suggest to this list. As some of you are aware, a few of us from the Asia Caucus were =present at the recently concluded symposium held by JCAFE in Tokyo, =Japan. Taratta-san thought it a good idea for us to meet and discuss =some of the issues that have been afloat on this list and the CS-Plenary =list for a while, and so on the 14th, Taratta-san, Al Alegre, Jhin Hia =(Jimbonet), Mavic and I (Isis International-Manila) met briefly. Al will soon be reporting on the whole of our discussions that we had =in Tokyo, but I was tasked with the responsibility of raising an issue =with this list that I have been concerned about for a while. This issue =is basically the notion of the Asia Caucus giving support to certain key =issues within the overall advocacy areas that are being lobbied for by =Civil Society in the WSIS process. Let me explain: 1. Our observation is that that the regional caucuses are given =some extra importance, as compared to issue-based caucuses, particularly =in matters related to representation (speakers for example), and also in =relation to the issues that the regional caucuses support. 2. By and large, the Asia Caucus has been the least visible in =terms of promoting a particularly political position or issue, although, =we know that the Asia Caucus members have taken leadership in several =issue based caucuses. In contrast, the Latin American Caucus and the =Africa Caucus have taken very strong and visible positions on issues and =in particular have been very focal around development issues taken as =representatives of the South. 3. I feel that it is time for the Asia Caucus to use its clout as =a regional caucus, and give strong backing to four or five key issues =that the Civil Society is doing lobbying around. Some of the issues =that Asia Caucus members have been particularly active in are the =following: internet governance, privacy and surveillance issues, =intellectual property rights, gender issues, communication rights, right =to development. 4. My suggestion is that in the next ten days (until 30th =October), we have a discussion on this list of the issues that the Asia =Caucus could/should give its concrete and stated backing to. 5. I have offered to compile a short two to three page document =that will encapsulate our concerns on the issues that we agree by =consensus to give support to. Once that is prepared, I will circulate it =on this list for comments (hopefully by 4th October) and then once =finalised we can forward it to the different lists (by 7th October), as =well as use it in our lobbying for Prep Com 3A hopefully. 6. For this process to work smoothly, I would suggest the =following: i. when you reply this message, list down the top five issues =that you think the Asia Caucus should give support to, and why. ii. keep the messages brief, and have them all follow the subject =heading listed above. iii. I would also kindly request those who are not a part of the =Asian Caucus that are signed onto this list, to refrain from posting =their opinions immediately, since I think the initial recommendations =should come from those located/working/originating in Asia and/or in the =Asia Caucus. Once the document has been compiled, of course, all are =free to comment on it. Alright, that's all for now. I look forward to hearing from you all =in the next ten days. Susanna963_2.html (attatchment)(tag is disabled)