FYI
----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Peake <ajp@glocom.ac.jp>
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 1:57 PM
Subject: Internet Govenance update - CS caucus and WG
> Hi,
>
> I hope this email will reach most of the contact
> points for civil society caucuses and working
> groups. Email addresses taken from this page
> http://www.wsis-cs.org/caucuses.html, and I know
> some are no longer correct.
>
> Anyway. Important thing is we begin to think how
> to respond to the opportunity to recommend names
> for the new working group on Internet governance.
> Please see the note below. There is no desperate
> rush to agree on names, but something we should
> try to do sooner rather than later.
>
> Regards,
>
> Adam
>
>
> (as sent to plenary@wsis-cs.org)
>
> English then French: Many thanks to Bruno Oudet
> for the translation into French.
>
> Update on the status of the Internet governance
> working group, at least what we understand about
> it.
>
> Mr. Markus Kummer, a Swiss diplomat, has been
> appointed to chair the secretariat of the
> Secretary General's Working Group on Internet
> Governance (now on "WG"). Most of what we know
> about the group has come from him, but there is
> no official statement as such, following is put
> together from speeches and presentations.
>
> Kummer says he expects the secretariat to be
> functional by the end of June, and the chairman
> of the WG selected by the 1st prep-comm (June
> 24-26) The WG chair will probably be a person
> from a government, preferably from the South.
>
> Indications are that the WG will have between 15
> - 20 members. Kummer has been very supportive of
> the Summit document's requirement that the WG be
> set up in an open and inclusive process. He is
> extremely approachable, open and pleasant,
> everything we know so far points to him being a
> very good choice for the position.
>
> Kummer has said a couple of times that he expects
> stakeholders will be consulted on who will join
> the WG, people will not be appointed for them.
> He expects the WG membership to be complete by
> October, and it will begin real work from then
> on. Outline of what the process may look like
> here
> <http://www.too-much.tv/glocomish/2004/05/internet_govern.html>
>
> ** Civil society seems to be in a position to
> suggest name of people to join the Working Group.
> Rather than beginning a frenzy or specific
> recommendations, we suggest we try to first agree
> on the qualities of the people we would like to
> see join the working group on behalf of civil
> society. Aiming at submitting between 3 and 5
> names later. Note, there has been no allocation
> of places, we have not been promised a specific
> number.
>
> The WG should include people from both developing
> and developed countries. We think it is
> reasonable to anticipate that a working knowledge
> of English is expected of WG members, it's not
> something for us to decide, but we should be
> sensitive to it.
>
> Some other things we think we know:
>
> Kummer has indicated that skills are more
> important than the person being "high level". He
> considers Gender balance to be important.
>
> It will require a significant commitment of time
> and effort. A lot of work in a short time.
>
> Knowledge of a broad range of ICT policy issues would be helpful.
>
> But with all these comments, Mr. Kummer says he
> is only in a position to provide advice, it is
> not his final decision.
>
>
> We are also sending this note to civil society caucuses and working
groups.
>
> Background.
>
> The working group is being formed now, and its
> structure and working methodology have not yet to
> have been set. We may be able to influence this.
> Comments on structure and modalities would be
> very helpful.
>
> Structure and modalities may be discussed at the
> first prep-comm. What we have heard so far is
> that the WG will take input broadly through a
> multi-layered structure. This structure will
> consist of the small high-level core membership
> of the working group itself, a wider network of
> stakeholders feeding into the core group through
> two or three open-ended consultations, and
> perhaps regionally or thematically organized
> meetings and expert hearings. Civil society
> needs to think about how it can participate in
> such a process.
>
> Kummer has been very open to meeting with groups.
> If the working group membership has the same
> attitude, then giving them opportunities to meet
> with civil society groups, to speak at
> conferences and workshops, would be one way for
> us to make our views known.
>
> Seems the WG will begin by taking a broad view of
> what Internet governance involves. The most
> commonly mentioned issues are: spam; network and
> information security and trust, privacy and
> consumer protection; Internet pricing and
> interconnection, and of course issues associated
> with ICANN and the domain name system. People
> have also mentioned intellectual property rights,
> international rules for e-commerce, taxation and
> encryption. Potentially almost an endless list.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Jeanette Hofmann <jeanette@wz-berlin.de>, Adam Peake <ajp@glocom.ac.jp>
> coordinators, Internet governance caucus
>
>