[eccr] Letter from civil society coordinating group to WSIS

This letter was sent today from the interim civil society coordinating group
established at 
PrepCom 1 in July to Pierre Gagne, executive director of the WSIS.




Pierre Gagné, Executive Director
WSIS Secretariat
c/o ITU
Place des Nations
1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland

Copies:
Adama Samassekou, Chair, WSIS Preparatory Process
Daniel Stauffacher, Chair, sub-committee 1
Pablo Macedo, Chair, sub-committee 2
Alain Clerc, Director, Civil Society Division, WSIS Secretariat
Members of the civil society plenary

10 September 2002

Dear Mr. Gagné, 

We are writing you as the interim Civil Society Coordinating Group (CSCG).
The 
CSCG was been mandated by the final civil society Plenary during PrepCom1 to
pursue its work and set up a representative structure for civil society. We
expect 
that, by the end of this month, the CSCG will complete its organization
through this 
open process, to become a structure composed of representatives from all
sub-
committee and caucuses formed by the civil society organizations. The CSCG
will 
then be ready, as we are informing the Civil Society Division (CSD)
secretariat in a 
separate letter, to open out further to civil society, and also to begin to
more 
formally relate to the WSIS process and engage in dialogue and cooperation.

In the meantime, civil society organizations that participated to PrepCom1
have 
been informed of the upcoming Informal meeting on Content and Themes, to be
held in Geneva from September 16th to 18th. While we welcome the opportunity
to 
participate on day 1 of this Informal meeting, we would like to raise the
following 
concerns regarding the way the preparatory process is currently being
conducted:

1. Civil society participation is discouraged.

The announcement of the informal meeting on content and themes was made on
September 3rd by the CSD. In the its invitation letter sent to civil society
organizations, the CSD informed us that "the program of the day, the
decisions 
regarding how many persons would speak and other arrangements for civil
society 
participation in the meeting were decided September 2nd only. In order not
to raise 
expectations that would not be fulfilled, it was seen more appropriate to
send out 
the invitation after the role and time dedicated to civil society was
clearly 
established."

Civil society organizations have then been invited only thirteen days before
the 
meeting. Furthermore, no funding is available for this meeting.

In the document "Civil Society Final Statement on Rules of Procedure,
Accreditation and Modalities for NGO participation", adopted by the final
civil 
society PrepCom 1 plenary meeting on July 5, we stated:
     Effective participation of civil society will depend both on solid
     commitment and open cooperation of all participants, and on the
     practicalities and concrete circumstances of their implementation.
     This must mean maximum participation of civil society in the
     design and implementation of these modalities, and in the related
     formal and informal activities. Such activities include (but are not
     restricted to) the determination of the timing, location, duration,
     and selection of Chairs of Round Tables, and other events; and
     the nature, extent and determination of participation and
     participants.
     Furthermore, the proposed modalities cannot yield balanced and
     effective participation of civil society without transparent, efficient
     mechanisms for attracting and distributing funds, from a variety of
     sources, and the level of funding must be appropriate to the need
     for balanced and effective participation during PrepComs and
     Summits, and between them."

In the same document we noted that the degree of flexibility retained in the
modalities adopted by Sub-committee 1 must be fully exercised in the
direction of 
supporting participation. Unfortunately, not only is this flexibility not
being 
exercised, but current practices such as late notification of the September
16 
meeting and the lack of funding, are actually discouraging civil society
participation. 

While these practices impede participation of others, including governments
(which 
for the most part will be represented by staff from permanent Geneva
missions, 
rather than those with expertise in the meetings agenda and responsibility
for its 
implementation), they have much more impact on the representation of civil
societys regional and thematic diversity.

2. Civil society inputs are not receiving enough consideration.

Among the list of official documents available on the web regarding the
upcoming 
Informal meeting on content and themes, is a document dated August 13 and
entitled "Compilation of Statements made at Prepcom-1 on Themes and Content
of 
the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)". This document has been
elaborated by the WSIS Secretariat. Obviously this compilation, which has an
official status, will serve as the basis of the ongoing work of
sub-committee 2.

First of all we are concerned to note that this document has merged, in its
part C, 
private sector and civil society inputs. While civil society groups have
always stated 
an openness and acceptance to the involvement of all stakeholders in this
process, 
we do believe that there are disadvantages to both sectors to have their
view 
reflected together.

Secondly, this compilation only takes into account oral statements that have
been 
made during the July 4th session of PrepCom1 on content and themes. The
efforts 
of civil society organizations have been disregarded, since their many
statements, 
circulated during PrepCom1 and available on the CSD website, have not been
taken into account.

Thirdly, civil society organisations are being excluded from two of the
three days of 
the informal meeting on content and themes, despite repeated assurances that
closed meetings would be the exception rather than the rule. There has been
no 
explanation as to what exceptional circumstances apply on this occasion. In
practice, it appears to be considered the norm that governments should meet
mainly in private.

This is surprising and very disappointing for the civil society
organizations, which
are doing their best for constructive and participative interaction, but yet
do not 
receive in practice enough encouragement and consideration, despite the
assurances that were made at the highest official levels of the WSIS to
maximise 
civil society participation.

For the WSIS to be a success we urge you to address these concerns, not only
during the upcoming informal meeting on content and themes, but in all
subsequent 
events to be held in the framework of the preparatory process, at the global
and 
regional levels.

On Behalf of the Civil Society Plenary at PrepCom 1
Interim Civil Society Plenary Coordinating Group

Izumi Aizu, Karen Banks, Renate Bloem, Steve Buckley, Sally Burch, Sasha
Costanza- Chock, Susanna George, Bruce Girard, Robert Guerra, Richard
Jordan, 
Robyn Kamira, Olinca Marino, Meryem Marzouki, Emanuel Njenga, Seán Ó
Siochrú, Valerie Peugot, Claire Shearman, Gaurab Raj Upadhaya

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