WSIS Prepcom III
Sub-committee B
23 September 2005
15:10-18:00
Report by Chikako Yamaki
1. Mr. Utsumi from ITU announced
that Tunisia government and ITU and make an agreement on the securities, transportation
or other logistical issues. Minister of Tunisia also appealed that they will
guarantee the internet access, transport, accommodation, and simplifying the
procedure of VISA. Financial supports to the participants from developing country
were mentioned but I couldn’t find the clear and practical information.
Chair celebrated the assignment of agreement. All information on the website
of ITU and Tunisia.
2. Ambassador Kirkins reported about the decision of the Bureau. Time allocation
of the next week has changed. It will be announced whether evening session will
be taken or not on 6 pm every day. It will be three substantial meeting form
10:00-13:00, 15:00-18:00 and 19:00-21:00.
3. Paragraph 1 to 7 in Political Chapeau was read through during today’s
sub-committee. Document WSIS-?/PC-3/DT/4(rev.1) was the basis of the discussion.
Intervention from the CCBI
l Intervention of Chantal Peyer on behalf of the Civil Society. Her intervention
was already posted in the plenary e-mail list.
Paragraph 1
Government delegations (Canada, UK, Australia Switzerland and some other countries)
basically insisted to not to reopen the discussion at Geneva phase. Ghana, China,
Pakistan insist human right contains already so they don’t want to be
here.
Cuba and Iran insisted that they have the duty to include the “freedom
of expression”. Cuba will prepared the new text by Monday.
Almost all the proposal toward paragarah1 were into bracket, the one from WSIS
gender caucus was accepted, and the one from CCBI was not accepted.
Paragrah2
Proposal from CCBI and from Cultural Diversity Working Group didn’t had
any comment and they were accepted. CCBI and Egypt & Cuba offer the same
(first) sentence should be change, so Canada point out it and they should be
choose the one proposal as the first sentence. Egypt and Cuba explained their
intention that they tried to highlight the goal of 2nd phase, and set the goal
narrowly rather than global. CCBI, Cuba and Egypt will make one proposal by
Monday chaired by Egypt.
Paragraph 3
Saudi Arabia’s concept was accepted, but there was a comment that they
should accord original expression in 2000 declaration, and that they should
employ the expression “goal and objective”. There was some comments
on the “poverty”.
All proposals were bracketed.
Paragraph 4
no comment.
Paragraph 5
Cuba support the proposal from Norway. US had general comment that we should
respect the Geneva declaration. Vietnam (?) commented said that let disaster
management issue into para20. Pakistan mentioned the importance of knowledge
based disaster preparedness. Switzerland commented to Cuba’s proposal
that they are not the amendment but the new text so they should propose again.
Paragraph 6
Proposal from Cultural Diversity Working Group was supported by Russia in the
meaning that they agree the importance of access to knowledge.
Paragraph 7
The words in the Discussion in this sentence was on the “cultural differences”
used in the Cultural Diversity Group. Egypt and other 2 countries preferred
“cultural diversity”. UNESCO said “cultural difference is
sensitive” but it is not necessary to use in this sentence.
There were other delegations (New Zealand and other) who ask the flour to comment
para7 after the Chair conclude this sentences, so sub-committee on Monday will
begin from the paragraph7.
Other comment
Switzerland and Tunisia insist that para of ICT for peace should be included
in the political chapeau, may be after the para11. This proposal is on the web
at the “contribution from Government”.
Saudi Arabia had some comment on para20, para12, para16 in Geneva. It will be
treated next week.
Announcement
Discussion on the Political Chapeau will be continued on Monday afternoon, and
followed by Chap1 and Chap4.