Hammamet, 26 June 2004 - Onsite Report from the WSIS - Tunisia Phase
PrepCom 1
Civil Society Finds Solution to Impasse $BKX(Bith some help from the PrepCom
President
by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, Isis International-Manila
The heated debates around the civil society statement on human rights
issues and who is going to speak on behalf of the human rights caucus and
civil society in general have come to an end today.
Amidst the tensed argumentation in today$BCT(B civil society plenary, an ITU
official relayed PrepCom president Janis Karklins’ decision to give time
to the representative of the Tunisian Human Rights League to speak.
While most Tunisian NGOs were unhappy over this decision, other civil
society organisations and Tunisian human rights groups welcomed it.
According to them, the government delegates, or specifically the PrepCom
president, broke the impasse and solve the problem for civil society.
Prior to the resolution, the NGOs who asserted that the processes that
were observed in drafting the human rights statement and appointment of
the speaker were the same ones that were followed in the Geneva phase of
the WSIS, were prepared to lodge an official complaint to the government
bureau regarding the disruptions deliberately created by some Tunisian and
African NGO representatives.
In the end, two civil society speakers presented statements on human
rights. Souhayr Belhassen, vice-president of the Tunisian Human Rights
League read the statement on behalf of the human rights caucus. The other
one was Awa Ndiaye from the African Diaspora of Geneva who apparently read
the same statement. Ndiaye was chosen by the Tunisian NGOs and their
supporters.
Jeannette Hoffman, the representative of the Internet Governance Caucus
was also able to present her group$BCT(B statement despite the deliberate
disruptions made by some Tunisian and African NGO representatives when the
Content and Themes Group was facilitating the discussion on this issue.
A number of civil society representatives believe that the same situation
should not be allowed to happen again. They suggested that NGOs who adhere
to democratic processes as those observed in Geneva should form another
plenary. On the other hand, some Tunisian NGOs including their supporters
that are allegedly supported by the Tunisian government should also form
their own plenary, they added.
-30-