To: plenary@wsis-cs.org
From: Adam Peake <ajp@glocom.ac.jp>
Cc: governance@lists.cpsr.org
Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Nominations: Working Group on Internet
Governance (WGIG)
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 10:35:37 +0900
To Members of WSIS Civil Society, Caucuses and Working Groups
The WSIS Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus hopes to assemble a
list of candidates for membership in the Working Group on Internet
Governance (WGIG). The purpose of the list is to give Mr. Kummer and
Mr. Annan a set of candidates from which they can select members for
the WGIG. This list will not be the only input into the membership
decision process, and does not prevent any group or individual from
submitting her or his recommendations. We wish to provide the
collective recommendations of WSIS caucuses and working groups.
After much deliberation on the process by which the candidate list
would be compiled, we, as coordinators of the Internet Governance
caucus have made the decision to invite each of the WSIS civil
society caucuses and working groups to suggest between one (1) and
three (3) names for inclusion on the candidate list.
There is not agreement for this course of action among members of the
IG Caucus, but time is pressing and we feel WSIS Civil Society must
have an opportunity to participate in this process. This can work if
we all try to make it work. It means trying to think what is best
for civil society, and not any particular interest group. Please read
this note carefully. And refer to the draft statement on structure of
the WGIG you can find at this URL
<http://www.too-much.tv/internet_governance/> (Spanish, French,
English and Portuguese.)
One of the goals for this candidate list is to make sure that all of
the topical areas that might be included in the governance debate are
covered. Indications are that the WGIG will take a broad view of
Internet governance, and issues will include ICANN, Spam, information
and network security, privacy and other ICT rights issues,
intellectual property rights, and interconnection agreements to name
just a few. Asking the other caucuses and working groups for
recommendations is considered the best way to make sure that all
topics of concern to WSIS civil society are present.
Note that our recommendations about the structure of the WGIG (here
<http://www.too-much.tv/internet_governance/>) say we think the group
should be small, between 19 and 31 total core members. By asking for
nominations from all of WSIS civil society we are inviting a
potentially large number of names to be submitted. Some means of
reducing the composite list we receive may be required. We look
forward to your advice on how we might handle this situation, it is
quite likely. We suggest discussions about this are started now on
the CS plenary list.
Please attempt to prioritize your nominations. If you are unable to
do so please state clearly that your list is not prioritized.
Coordination of nominations among caucuses/working group will be very
helpful.
Individual members of the CS plenary may also submit nominations.
Individuals should submit their nominations based on the criteria
explained below.
As background for making the caucus/working group decision on the
candidates, a draft of the WSIS Civil Society caucus's contribution
on the WGIG can be found online at
<http://www.too-much.tv/internet_governance/>. These notes discuss
some of the contents of the contribution.
We consider it critical that a balanced WGIG be drawn from a multi
dimensional consideration of diversity. That is, diversity in terms
of sector, region, gender, and language background, among others,
must be considered in assembling the WGIG. It is also important that
there be a balance between members from developing and developed
countries. It is also considered very important that candidates have
a degree of knowledge of the issues, including policy, legal and
technical, involved in the Internet governance debate. We also
suggest candidates should have experience working in an international
committee environment, be aware of ICT for development issues and
human rights. No candidate is expected to have all these qualities,
but we are suggesting they should be people with broad experience.
It is considered critical that though all participants come from
different perspectives, they should be people who are willing to
listen and consider carefully the views of others. It is expected
that the best outcome for the WGIG will come from an assembly of open
minded individuals who can share their knowledge and expertise in an
cooperative manner.
Finally it is considered important that any individual nominated as a
candidate understand the amount of work this assignment would involve
and indicate a readiness to participate. While the work plan of the
WGIG has yet to be determined, it is expected that the WGIG will
begin work in the final months of 2004 and finish by July 2005. The
schedule will most probably involve, email discussions,
teleconferences and up to four (4) face to face meetings. We
anticipate that the working language of the WGIG itself will be
English. It is expected, however, that there will be a great
sensitivity to language issues as the WGIG conducts its work and
consultations.
In making your caucuses/working groups recommendation, we request
that you submit the following information, which will be passed on to
Mr. Kummer, with the names of the candidates:
- Reliable contact information for the candidate; i.e. email,
telephone, fax and postal address.
- A statement indicating the qualities that the person would bring to
the WGIG. While no particular content is being required, it is
recommended that this section include a discussion of the concerns
mentioned above and a discussion of the experience and perspective
the candidate would bring to the WGIG discussions.
- A statement of the person's governance related affiliations. That
is information such as: which sector does the person belong to
(government, industry or civil society), what caucuses/working groups
do they participate in, employer, national background, and language
skills.
- An indication from the candidate that they understand the work load
they are volunteering for and that they are available during the
expected period of deliberations.
- A short statement about your caucus/working group. Include
information about the group's background and history, membership
(numbers), and achievements or other information you think relevant.
Please give a URL for a website if you have one.
It is recommended that these statements be no more then two pages in
length. Candidate information will be collated and published on the
Internet <http://www.too-much.tv/internet_governance/> (with
candidates personal contact information removed.)
Members of the Internet governance caucus will aggregate the names
received and send them along with the name of the caucus/working
groups that made the nomination to Markus Kummer. If any
reconsideration of names is required in light of issues arising from
the WGIG consultation on September 20-21 we will hold any relevant
discussions about this on the plenary mailing list.
Time is short on gathering the list of candidates and you are
requested to submit the candidate statements within the next two
weeks. The deadline for submission of candidate statements is 20
Sept, 2004. All statements should be sent to:
igov@tla.crepundia.net
In concluding, we thank you for helping us complete this important
task.
Please try to coordinate your nominations with other caucuses and
working groups. And please consider the qualities your nominations
will bring to the WGIG carefully. If you have questions about the
process please contact the coordinators of the Caucus:
Jeanette Hofmann and Adam Peake
Coordinators, Internet Governance Caucus
