[Chapter-delegates] What ISOC is doing

[Dave Burstein]

Hank
That's the point I was making. ITU welcomes us - I was in the room when the
Secretary-General urged our CEO to send a large delegation. It's ISOC staff
that's holding us back and that needs to change. Our policy lead explained
that if members attended ITU meetings, they might not follow ISOC policy,
which mostly is too "high-level" to know what to follow. I suggested any
non-staff speaking up say

Andrew, Elizabeth, Gonzalo, Mike
>From Hank's Linkedin

Special advisor for technological and international affairs
Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL) Freelance
Advisor in the realm of RIPE, IETF, IANA, ISOC, IGF as well as creation of
new IL-NOG WG.

Director Of Infrastructure
IUCC - Inter-University Computation Center
Responsible for researching and drafting a 3 year work plan (1987-1989) for
converting the entire Israeli university network to TCP/IP. Brought first
Internet connection to Israel. Responsible for purchasing
telecommunications equipment and high speed leased lines on a nationwi

Exactly the kind of person who could advance what we believe in at the ITU.
Please find a way to make it so, especially if you believe ISOC should be
more multistakeholder.

---------------
You're right about some Internet standards at IETF. I was thinking of the
5G rules, a huge factor in the cost of the Internet. 3GPP submits them to
ITU for approval as IMT. Last I heard, India was holding them up trying to
bring a low-cost flavor of 5G into the standards. Another Study Group
battle is over Deterministic Networking, which Vint, I, and Andrew think a
mistake. US is holding up that one.

Hank
I know how the ITU recognition works in the US because I'm on a State
Department committee. If you haven't already solved the problem, I can
probably find a connection.

On Wed, Jul 7, 2021 at 12:41 AM Hank Nussbacher <hank at isoc.org.il> wrote:
>
> On 06/07/2021 22:23, Dave Burstein via Chapter-delegates wrote:
>
>
> We have a remarkable opportunity to do that at the ITU, where the
Secretary-General suggested we send as many as 100 delegates to the major
events. He pointed out we are full "sector members" and publicly encouraged
our CEO, Kathy Brown, to use that to bring the non-governmental sector into
further prominence at the ITU.
>
> We can and should exercise power at the ITU, accrediting as many
experienced ISOC members and public advocates as can get to the meetings.
I've spent weeks at ITU meetings, accredited as press, and discovered that
the leaders and delegates were very open to my ideas. I met one on one with
almost all the senior staff. If you are informed and courteous, you can
have impact at ITU meetings.
>
> There is essentially no public interest presence at the very important
ITU-T Study Groups, nominally the ultimate arbiter of international
standards. We should at minimum have 2 or 3 volunteers at each Study group.
They actually do much more than the big meetings we attend, which are
talkfests.
>
> If a few dozen good people attended from ISOC, that would play a major
role in the process. Only once in 20 years has ITU come down to a vote of
nations (WCIT in 2012.) US Ambassador Phil Verveer told me ITU was perhaps
the best example of an International organization that is open and
approaches the "multi-stakeholder" ideal. (Some disagree, probably
including Veni. My response: let's make it so.)
>
>
> Dave,
>
>
> I tried and was not successful.
>
> I applied last month to a number of Study Groups as you suggested
yesterday:
>
> "ITU > ITU-T > SP 16 > Study Group 3 > t17sg3q6"
> "ITU > ITU-T > SP 16 > Study Group 3 > t17sg3q9"
>
> Here is what I received in response:
>
> "However, we had to reject your subscription request, as the ITU Account
that you have created is not duly linked to Internet Society, which is an
ITU-T Sector Member.
>
> ...
> Kindly seek authorization from the focal point for Internet Society to
have your request approved, and please inform us on the decision. The Focal
Point of Internet Society is Ms Elizabeth Oluoch, Senior Policy Advisor and
International Institutions Relations Manager (oluoch at isoc.org)."
>
>
> Which I did try.  Here is her response:
>
> "Thank you for contacting us about joining ITU-T Study Group 3 mailing
lists.  ISOC is a Sector Member of both the standards and development
sectors. Regarding participation in ITU meetings and events, our policy
allows only for the participation of ISOC staff. In view of this policy I
am not able to approve your request. However, if there is some specific
work in ITU-T Study Group 3 that you are interested in or are following, we
can try to provide information on status of that work."
>
>
> So before all chapter members race to the ITU to accomplish what you
suggest, we would have to convince ISOC to change its policy in regards to
chapter members being able to join ITU Study Groups.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Hank Nussbacher
>
> ISOC-IL
>
>
> PS I beg to differ with your statement "ITU-T Study Groups, nominally the
ultimate arbiter of international standards".  I think that axiom goes to
the IETF in regards to Internet standards.
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