<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
tt
{font-family:"Courier New";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:595.45pt 841.7pt;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Dear colleagues,</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><b><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Background</span></font></b></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>At the ITU 2006 Plenipotentiary where <font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'><a
href="http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/governance/itu_plenipot_turkey.shtml">ISOC</a>
</span></font>was present for the entire conference, in Resolution 9 (Antalya,
2006) it was decided to convene the fourth WTPF, in the first quarter of 2009,
to discuss and exchange views on Convergence and Emerging policy issues.</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>The Fourth World Telecommunications Forum (</span></font></tt><a
href="http://www.itu.int/osg/csd/wtpf/wtpf2009/"><tt><font size=2 color=black
face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:
none'>WTPF</span></font></tt></a><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>) will be held at the end of April 2009 in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Lisbon</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Portugal</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
The WTPF is a venue for discussing strategies and policies of high current
policy interest within the changing telecommunication environment. Outcomes are
non-binding. The day before the WTPF starts, an Information Session focusing on
the same themes as the WTPF will also be organized. The ITU is convening
"Expert Group" meetings to prepare for both of these meetings.</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><b><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Process</span></font></b></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>At this early stage of preparation, discussions have been very focused
on process rather than content. The ITU SG produced a first draft of a</span></font></tt>
<tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><a
href="http://www.itu.int/osg/csd/wtpf/wtpf2009/report.html">Report</a>
describing the working methodology and themes for the WTPF. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Member</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">States</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
Sector Members (which includes ISOC) and Associates were invited to submit
comments on this report. ISOC's contribution was submitted on the 7<sup>th</sup>
of January 2007 and has been put up on the Strategic Global Engagement webpages
at:</span></font></tt> <a
href="http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/community/wtpf_07012008.shtml"><tt><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;
text-decoration:none'>http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/community/wtpf_07012008.shtml</span></font></tt></a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>In early June, the ITU SG convened an Expert Group whose mandate is to
submit comments on the SG's Report and to formulate proposals for the agenda of
the WTPF and the Information Session. In order to carefully follow the
evolution of this process as well as its outcome, ISOC requested to join this
group and was excepted mid-June.<o:p></o:p></span></font></tt></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>The first Expert Group meeting was held on June 24th (last week) in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Geneva</st1:City></st1:place>. ISOC’s
comments on the first draft of the SG's Report (see url above) were reiterated
at that meeting, as they had not all been taken into account previously. They
will also be resubmitted beginning of July. ISOC’s future submissions
will all be posted on the<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> <a
href="http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/governance/globalengage.shtml">Strategic
Global Engagement</a> </span></font>webpages, and as this is an on-going
process, we invite you to contact us with any comments at<font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'> <a href="mailto:sge@isoc.org">sge@isoc.org</a> </span></font>or
start a discussion here on the chapter delegates list. <o:p></o:p></span></font></tt></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></tt></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>During this first meeting of the Expert Group, numerous delegates also
encouraged the ITU SG to narrow its focus to an emerging and pressing issue
being faced by the world community such as ICT and Public Safety, ICT and
Public Health, ICT and Environment or ICT and Public Warning Systems, instead
of duplicating the discussions held in existing forums such as the Internet Governance
Forum (IGF). Also, ISOC insisted that it is in the spirit of the WTPF that its
agenda and outcome reflects all ITU members' views, including its Sector
Members'.</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>The final ITU SG's Report will be available in December 2008. At<font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font></span></font></tt><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>that<tt><font
face="Courier New"> time, we will consult with members, chapter delegates</font></tt>,
and other stakeholders<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font><tt><font
face="Courier New">with specific knowledge or expertise on the final theme
chosen.</font></tt></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Best regards,</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Constance Bommelaer</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Senior Manager of Public Policy</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Internet Society (ISOC)</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><tt><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>+41 22 807 14 48</span></font></tt><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://www.isoc.org/"><tt><font size=2 color=black
face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black;text-decoration:
none'>http://www.isoc.org</span></font></tt></a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>