Hi Susanna,

Good to hear from you! Thanks for taking this process forward in a

concrete way. 

I would say that all the 6 issues you listed are relevant. It would be

difficult for me to rank them/cut them down to 5 top issues

(spoiler!!!).  I trust you to compile the feedback and select the top

5. 

However, I can speak for the issues that I have been focussing on,

which I guess would best fit in the communication rights topic. These

issues I would definitely propose as specific priority issues under

communication rights (in no particular order):

1. Restrictions on freedom of expression--including restrictions on

press in various media

2. Right of public to access broadcast resources--specifically right

of public to broadcast through community radio, including

equitable/fair distribution and access to broadcast frequencies

Sacha

On Monday, Oct 20, 2003, at 12:26 Asia/Bangkok, Susanna George wrote:

<excerpt>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.      <bold>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. 

</bold>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

</excerpt> =