[Chapter-delegates] [FOR COMMENT] ISOC input on IGF program, agenda and format

[Bill Graham]

All,

In June, the IGF Secretariat posted a paper on the program, agenda and  
format for the next IGF in Hyderabad, December 3-6.  See:

<http://intgovforum.org/hyderabad_prog/ProgrammePaper.05.06.2008.pdf>.)

A public comment period was established, and the paper will be  
discussed at the open consultation meeting in Geneva on September 16,  
and at the MAG meeting the following 2 days.  Although the comment  
period ended on 15 August, some issues of concern have come up in the  
last week that convince me we should make a formal contribution, which  
will be posted to the IGF Secretariat web site, even though it may be  
too late to make it into the Secretariat's summary of contributions.

Below you will find a draft of the input I would recommend that we  
(ISOC) provide to the IGF.  I would invite you to provide your  
comments on the points made or to propose additional points for  
consideration.  To ensure that it is available to be read widely  
before the mid-September meetings, I would appreciate it if you can  
send them to me at the latest by the end of your day, THURSDAY, AUGUST  
28.  Of course, if you can send them earlier I will appreciate it.   
That will give me time to do a final revision after considering your  
inputs, and get it to the Secretariat before September 1.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Bill
==========================================
Notes for comments to IGF Hyderabad meeting paper

ISOC is pleased to note the decision to focus on the overall theme for  
Hyderabad as “Internet for all” as the in analogy with UNESCO’s  
“education for all.”  ISOC hopes the MAG will keep in mind that it is  
important the ultimate meeting agenda and sessions not lose focus on  
this important overall theme.  These comments should be read in  
support of this need.

ISOC supports the concept of Main Session Workshops as an innovation  
for Hyderabad.  We believe this type of session will allow  
presentations to be more detailed, and thus more supportive of the  
cross-cutting theme of capacity building.  By urging those who  
proposed workshops to work together with the MAG to organize the main  
session workshops, we believe a diversity of views will also be  
presented.

ISOC believes great care needs to be taken in organizing the Main  
Session Debates.  The concept of open debate is not without cultural  
bias; it is more natural and easier for some cultures to engage in  
debate as a form of interaction than for others.  Care must be taken  
not to bias the ability or propensity to participate.  With that goal  
in mind, ISOC would like to present the following suggestions:
--      Moderators must be sensitive to both the content and tone of  
the debate, and be quick to deal with inappropriate types of exchange
--     Those wishing to raise topics for debate and questions on the  
topics should be encouraged to log those in advance of the session.   
This material can serve as a guide for the debates.
--     Give special consideration to requests by the rapporteurs of  
independent (i.e., non-main session) workshop to report into the main  
session debates the results of their workshops.
--     Care must be taken to ensure that the debates address the  
breadth of their subjects, and not get bogged down on one topic.
--     Similarly, the moderator must ensure that the debates are not  
dominated by any one point of view or any one stakeholder group.
--     The MAG should take on the responsibility of preparing the  
debate moderators, and be available to provide advice if needed during  
the sessions.

ISOC supports the decision to schedule workshops in parallel to the  
main sessions, and the objective of maximizing the opportunity of open  
dialogue and the exchange of ideas; trying to create feedback loops  
between the different types of sessions; etc., as set out by the  
paper.  In a multi-stakeholder environment such as that of the IGF,  
one of the critical tools for participation is of course  
interpretation into a variety of languages, ideally the six official  
languages of the United Nations.  While we fully understand the cost  
implications and thus the impossibility of having interpretation  
provided for all sessions by the IGF Secretariat, we applaud the  
decision to schedule the main session workshops and debate in  
facilities where full six language interpretation can be provided.  In  
addition, we would encourage workshop organizers to consider possible  
ways to encourage and enable participation by non-English speakers.

We also support the plan to make efforts to improve the possibility of  
remote participation in the IGF.  We believe that this can be a  
significant way to add value to the event as a focal point for global  
discussion of Internet governance issues.  We would urge that planning  
for remote participation also consider whether it could be possible  
for speakers to participate directly in the main sessions, either as  
speakers or participants in the debates.

The format of the session is appropriate and will facilitate the  
objectives of the Hyderabad meeting.  We believe care should be taken  
in scheduling independent workshops on themes related to the main- 
session workshops.  The following suggestions are offered as an  
obviously incomplete list of areas requiring attention:
--      Where possible, independent workshops on a theme (e.g.,  
Promoting Cyber-Security and Trust) should be scheduled before the  
main session workshops and debates on the same topic, with the goal of  
enhancing the level of discussion in the main sessions.
--      Where not possible to do so (primarily on the theme of  
Reaching the Next Billion), independent workshops on that theme should  
not be scheduled at the same time as the main sessions on the same  
theme, to avoid overlap for participants wanting to attend both. 

The two final main session topics (Taking stock/way forward and  
Emerging issues) are obviously the least well developed.  ISOC hopes  
that these can be fleshed out during the September Advisory Group  
meeting, so participants will have a chance to prepare for them.  [Any  
specific suggestions we’d like to see included in the Emerging Issues  
session particularly?]

Finally, ISOC would like to express gratitude in advance to the Indian  
government.  From the information provided to date, it is clear that  
India has learned much from the first two sessions of the IGF, and has  
arranged to hold the third IGF in an excellent facility, including  
several innovations taking into account lessons learned from the  
Athens and Rio meetings.  We look forward to participating actively in  
the third IGF, and to the success of the meeting.



========================
Bill Graham
Global Strategic Engagement
The Internet Society
graham at isoc.org
tel  +1.703.439.2157