WSIS Prepcom III, 20 September 2005
Sub-Committee B
1500-1800 hours
Report by Rik Panganiban, CONGO
The basis of the negotiations today were the compilation texts on Chapter 1 documents WSIS-II/PC-3/DT6 (rev 2) and WSIS-II/PC-3/DT2 (rev3).
The chair employed a unique methodology for the session, going paragraph by paragraph, and proposed change by proposed change. The interesting thing was that contributions by governments and NGOs were considered equally and at the same time. Some civil society contributions were deleted, others were included as bracketed text and others were included as non-bracketed text.
The governments were quite confused by the methodology, at first, unsure if they were able to propose new text or just deal with already proposed text.
Another important innovation was that civil society was able to divide up its 15 minute speaking slot into one speaker at the beginning and one speaker at the end of the session, allowing us time to respond to how the government negotiations were going.
Chair
Our goal is to by Friday have consolidated text for Chapters 1 and 4. I will give priority to written inputs, and then listen to inputs from the floor. Let us begin with paragraph 1.
Para 1.
The proposed text from Malawi, the “informal coalition on Financing and the Gender Caucus” and Togo was taken up.
Para 2.
They did not take up the youth caucus language on national “sustainable” development.
The US , Australia and Canada had problems with the IPU wording and put it in brackets.
UK did not want reference to indigenous peoples. Cuba supported indigenous reference. Text was bracketed.
All references to dates are bracketed.
They added an unbracketed reference to “development-oriented” information society, despite UK opposition, from the World Blind Union text.
They added the new “South-south” language from India and Brazil.
Reference to “universal design concepts” was included, despite UK opposition. Probably bracketed.
“Value” was replaced with “support regional and integration efforts”.
They added “reduce poverty” from Togo to the last sentence.
Venezuela proposed addition of “technological dependency” to last sentence which was bracketed.
The language “and Tunis” from Ghana was added to the first sentence.
Don't take “carry out research” from youth caucus
Malawi proposal to add “resources” to sentence on implementing Geneva decisions was bracketed after opposition from US and UK.
IAMR's reference to “open access to public information” was not taken up but they did add “among all stakeholders” to second sentence.
The “gender mainstreaming” language from the “informal coalition and the Gender Caucus” was taken up.
Accepted to move youth caucus language on “ICT4D” somewhere else in document.
They added “designing, implementation” from Malawi proposal.
The meeting adjourned at 1800 hours. They will begin with paragraph 5 tomorrow.