FYI
----- Original Message -----
From: Liliane Ursache <liliane.ursache@fdd.org>
To: <bureau@wsis2005.org>
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 10:21 PM
Subject: Re: Information note to the CSB
> Dear Tracey,
>
> We took good note of your mail and would like to add the following
> comments.
>
> Since December 2003 we have maintained an open discussion with the
> Tunisian authorities responsible for the Summit, in order to find
> arrangements that would guarantee the full participation of civil
> society in the WSIS process. We have maintained a small team working
> through this transition period, which is a proof of our commitment and
> our trust.
>
> We have also made some very concrete proposals to the Executive
> Secretariat and the Tunisian authorities regarding the substantive
> preparations of the Summit, in order to include civil society at all
> levels, in particular in the different thematic working groups to be
> established.
>
> However, today, six months after the Geneva Summit, we have to face the
> fact that there seems to be no will to really kick of the dynamic for
> Phase II, and consequently no commitment to provide civil society with
> the conditions and the means to influence Summit outcomes.
>
> Under these conditions, the Civil Society Division of the ES as it
> operated during phase I is not sustainable and cannot service civil
> society as we think it should. In our view, 12 months to develop a truly
> tripartite negotiations on complex issues, is not realistic. If it is
> not well done, it could even jeopardise the results of the first phase.
>
> Regarding African participation in the Summit, we are certainly not
> afropessimists . Since 1998 we have been very strong supporters of
> African involvement, and we will certainly continue to do so in
> different contexts.
>
> With best wishes,
>
> Alain Clerc
>
> **************************************************
>
> ChïÓe Tracey,
>
> Nous avons pris bonne note de votre rñÑonse et nous voudrions faire part
> de nos commentaires ci-aprïÔ:
>
> Depuis dñÄembre 2003, nous avons gardé une discussion ouverte avec les
> autoritñÔ tunisiennes responsables du Sommet, afin de trouver des
> arrangements qui puissent garantir la pleine participation de la sociñÕé
> civile au processus SMSI. Nous avons maintenu une petite ñÒuipe
> travaillant durant cette pñÓiode de transition, ce qui est la preuve de
> notre engagement et de notre confiance.
>
> Nous avons ñÈalement fait des propositions trïÔ concrïÕes au SecrñÕariat
> exñÄutif et aux autoritñÔ tunisiennes sur les prñÑarations de substance
> du Sommet, afin dinclure la sociñÕé civile à tous les niveaux,
> particuliïÓement dans les groupes de travail thñÎatiques qui devraient
> óÕre ñÕablis.
>
> Cependant, aujourdhui, six mois aprïÔ le Sommet de Genï×e, il semble
> quil nexiste aucune volonté de dñÎarrer la dynamique pour la Phase II,
> et par consñÒuent aucun engagement doffrir à la sociñÕé civile les
> conditions et les moyens dinfluer sur les rñÔultats du Sommet.
>
> Dans ces conditions, la Division SociñÕé Civile du SE ne peut pas óÕre
> maintenue et mise au service de la sociñÕé civile de la maniïÓe dont
> elle a opñÓé pendant la Phase I. Dans notre opinion, dñ×elopper une
> nñÈociation vñÓitablement tripartite sur des questions complexes en 12
> mois nest pas rñÂliste. Si cela nest pas bien prñÑaré, cela pourrait
> móÎe mettre en pñÓil les rñÔultats de la Phase I.
>
> En ce qui concerne la participation de lAfrique au Sommet, nous ne
> sommes certainement pas de « afropessimistes ». Depuis 1998, nous avons
> fortement appuyé limplication de lAfrique et nous continuerons
> certainement à le faire dans diffñÓents contextes.
>
> Avec nos meilleures salutations,
>
>
> Alain Clerc
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Tracey Naughton a ñÄrit:
>
> >HELLO ALL
> >
> >I thank Lillian for her recent note on the WSIS Civil Society
Secretariat's
> >position on the Tunis Phase of the Summit.
> >
> >I am extremely concerned that this position has been put without any
prior
> >consultations or information provided on the negotiations that were
> >apparently underway in the last months. Is this position up for debate?
Of
> >course it is!! We are civil society aren't' t we?
> >
> >The African Civil Society grouping recently met in Tunis and conducted
> >discussions with a number of people in the WSIS Tunis Secretariat, civil
> >society organisations, The Secretary of State for Telecommunications and
> >Information, the Executive Secretary of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat and
> >members of the state press.
> >
> >Independently I also met with the Manager of the independent radio
station
> >in Tunis, the assistant At tourney General, a human rights lawyer and the
> >Secretary General of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat. I also went into the
> >countryside and attended a voter education meeting attended by very rural
> >folk. I did this in an attempt to develop a broader view of the Tunisian
> >perspective on the Second Phase of the Summit and to test the official
line
> >against Tunisian reality, as much as one can in a seven day visit as a
> >foreigner.
> >
> >What I can say now is that Tunisia is considered by other Arab States to
be
> >relatively liberal, that the commitment to civil society in Tunisia is
> >strong and obvious, though defined in a different way to a northern NGO
> >approach, and that the commitment to WSIS Phase 2 as a multi-stakeholder
> >process (as per Millenniums Development Goals) was also clearly and
> >consistently stated.
> >
> >I would also say that in creating the Civil Society Fund, I don't believe
> >the Tunisians were necessarily anticipating having to fill the coffer
> >themselves. Tunisia isn't a wealthy country and it practices a solidarity
> >approach internally, and perhaps expected the same in relation to this
fund,
> >from other nations.
> >
> >As with any negotiation, there are always two sides to the story and I
have
> >put out a call to the Tunisian / African Colleagues, on behalf of the
> >African Civil Society group of which I am a participant, to provide the
> >African CS Caucus with their views on the proposal for civil society to
> >participate in a conference in Europe at the end of 2005. I believe the
> >appropriate first response to the news of focusing civil society input on
> >another conference process, is to seek other views.
> >
> >This should at least be a discussion. From the African perspective we
have
> >long felt an Afro-pessimism in relation Phase 2 and a divide between the
> >topics of concern to developed and less developed contexts. Patience is
an
> >African virtue and we hoped that in holding the next Summit on African
soil,
> >that a more practical and grounded outcome would be possible. Certainly
this
> >was confirmed by the input at our recent Tunis meeting, by the Tunisian
WSIS
> >people.
> >
> >I am most concerned that the tone of the position of the Geneva
secretariat
> >is so vastly different from the tone of the Tunisian secretariat.
> >
> >I hope that other viewpoints will be forthcoming to enable us all to make
a
> >considered decision on this matter.
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >Tracey Naughton
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Nyaka - Communication & Development
> >Tracey Naughton
> >Consultant
> >201 Somerset Hall
> >239 Oxford Road
> >Illovo 2196
> >South Africa
> >
> >Phone/fax: +27 (0) 11 880 5030
> >cell: +27 (0) 82 821 1771
> >Email: t.naughton@iafrica.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>