Susanna, thanks very much for this.
I am sorry I wasn't able to join the meeting in Tokyo. But it was
nice to catch-up with you all briefly.
Top 5 issues.
One very important omission from your list is accessibility and
people with disability. Very much overlooked by the whole WSIS
process, I think we are the only region to raise it.
And I think local/vernacular content is also a characteristic of the
region. Massive non-English speaking populations with rich
traditions.
So.
1. People with disabilities (cc'ing Monthian Buntan
<mbuntan@tab.or.th> and Hiroshi Kawamura <hkawa@attglobal.net> as the
experts on this -- although GLOCOM did raise this issue in our
"official" contribution to WSIS.)
2. Gender. Particularly the exploitation of women and children.
3. Communications Rights, particularly against the background of
repressive regimes (of which we have a few. I think privacy and
surveillance might perhaps be included as a "feature" of the AP
region here?)
4. Local content: From Thailand's community radio to need
multilingual domain names and support for all language scripts for
use on computers.
5. Also missing, it has been subsumed by "Internet Governance", is
ensuring meaningful participation by developing nations and civil
society in global policy making processes. Too many OECD + private
sector clubs making decisions.
On Internet governance. As China is leading the move for text to
support an "intergovernmental" takeover of the Internet, perhaps we
should comment. But I am not sure we would be able to agree among
ourselves on what needs to be said.
My own view is that
(1) the US government should confirm its intention to end unilateral
control over the root name server (I have no suggestion how it would
do it, I simply say it should confirm its intention to end its
control.)
(2) we do not support an intergovernmental organization taking responsibilit=
y.
(3) current systems must improve.
Thanks,
Adam
At 1:26 PM +0800 10/20/03, Susanna George wrote:
>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.
>
>Susanna
>
>
>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.=A0
>
>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.=A0
>
>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.=A0
>
>Susanna
--