[IGFmaglist] Draft Open Letter on Funding

Mon Jul 29 23:09:55 EDT 2013

Happy to sign the letter. No comments regarding draft letter.

At some point it would be good for member states to provide this sort of
support so a letter to each of the UN countries should give enough
reason for anyone to believe that IGF is important. Support at high
level will make a huge difference.

Also for all UN agencies in the various countries to take note of this
initiative and provide financial support or back up.

Cheers

From: Igfmaglist [mailto:igfmaglist-bounces at intgovforum.org] On Behalf
Of Patrick Ryan
Sent: Tuesday, 30 July 2013 11:21 AM
To: Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org
Subject: [IGFmaglist] Draft Open Letter on Funding

Dear MAG Colleagues,

As we discussed on Friday, we are working with other colleagues in the
private sector and elsewhere to try and fundraise for the IGF.  In order
for this to work, we still need a number of things from UNDESA, the Host
Country and others.  

I've taken a stab at an open letter
<https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/document/d/1gFbL06F7ZdE205jj8vO9Hm
CZGK80Oi3Da-DRDBeQRu0/edit>  (a draft) to be sent to various parties
that makes these requests (a version has been cut and pasted below as
well).  

Along these lines, I have a few questions for each of the MAG members
(past and present)

1.	Do you have any comments to this draft letter?
2.	Would you be willing to sign the letter?
3.	If the answer to 2 is no, are there any changes that you would
like to be made for you to be willing to sign it?

I look forward to your comments.

Patrick

=========

DRAFT OPEN LETTER, CIRCULATING FOR COMMENT AND DISCUSSION

Please provide comments by going in Google Docs here
<https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/document/d/1gFbL06F7ZdE205jj8vO9Hm
CZGK80Oi3Da-DRDBeQRu0/edit#null>  to Insert>Comment, or by email to
patrickryan at google.com

To:      Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations

            Mr. Wu Hungbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and
Social Affairs

            Mr/Ms __________, Government of Indonesia

            Mr/MS __________, ID-IGF

Dear _____, 

The undersigned individuals and entities are all supportive of the
Internet Governance Forum ("IGF") and would like to participate jointly
in an effort to keep the IGF in Bali this year.  The issues related to
the possible cancellation are budgetary nature.  Many of us are working
on a private-sector effort to help defray the costs of the IGF for now
and the future, but we need your help to make this work.

The principle for funding UN meetings is found in Resolution 40/243 of
18 February 1986, which finds that meetings should be held at UN
Headquarters, except "when a Government . . . has agreed to defray . . .
the actual additional costs directly or indirectly involved."  As we
know, all IGF meetings are held away from UN headquarters by design, and
the IGF is not a government-only event as envisioned in 1986, the time
that Resolution 40/243 was passed.  Instead, the IGF is multistakeholder
as described in the Tunis Agenda, WSIS-05/TUNIS/DOC/6 (Rev. 1)-E, Paras.
72-80.  In order to finance the IGF's activities, a trust fund has been
organized by UNDESA in GLO/06/X01
<http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/2013/TrustFund/Project%20document%20IGF2
011-2015.pdf>  and in Resolution 65/141 of 20 December 2010
<https://docs.google.com/a/google.com/file/d/0BylRrf_lFlA9UGlwYkVDZGtnND
A/edit> .  This Resolution addresses involvement and voluntary
financing, and the U.N. General Assembly:

19. Stresses that  the  consideration of improvements to the Internet
Governance Forum should be based on the inputs to be provided to the
working group by all Member States and all other stakeholders [ . . . ]
exploring further voluntary options for financing the Forum and
improving the modalities of the preparation process and the work and
functioning of the secretariat of the Forum; (emphasis added)

In light of the funding concerns, the premise in the Tunis Agenda is to
include all stakeholders further, Resolution 65/141 stresses the need to
find voluntary financing options.  In this spirit, we are mounting an
initiative to provide the required financing to move the IGF forward.
However, we have the following requests:

Request #1, for UNDESA, the Government of Indonesia and the ID-IGF
Committee: tell us what the fundraising goal needs to be. 

We ask the parties above to share with the community in a definitive and
transparent way what the fundraising target is that is required to keep
the IGF in Bali this year, together with details of the uses of the
funds.  With a clear target number from the three parties above, the
community can set targets for its fundraising effort, and further, the
community can also evaluate what areas may be able to be supported
through in-kind services.

Request #2, for the Indonesian Government: Reassure the community that
the government will host the IGF if the funding issues are satisfied.

Even if the funding issues are addressed, the IGF will require the
execution of a Host Country Agreement.  In order for the community to
engage in fundraising activity for the IGF this year, we respectfully
request assurance from the Indonesian government that the HCA will be
signed.  Along these lines, a letter from the Indonesian Government to
assure the community of the host country's commitment will help counter
the many rumors and reports in the press and provide a stable
environment for our fundraising efforts.

Request #3, for UNDESA: Clear the path for Tides.  As of right now, if
any individual wants to fund the IGF, they need an individual contract
with UNDESA to do so.  Yet, Resolution 65/141 encourages the community
to "explor[e] further voluntary options for financing the Forum."
Consistent with this Resoultion, a non-exclusive proposal from Tides.org
<http://www.tides.org>  is in circulation with UNDESA and it is a matter
of finalizing that agreement for Tides as a donoer (Tides is a
non-profit that works with foundations, donors, corporations, social
investors,  government institutions, community organizations, activists,
social entrepreneurs, and others for social good benefit).  If the Tides
proposal is finalized, it could broadly widen the ability for
individuals and entities to contribute----and provide a model for other
similar funds in the future.  Note that it will be crucial to ensure
that all contributions are disclosed in a transparent way.

Request #4, for UNDESA: Share the budget details with the community.
This builds on Request #1, and we ask for further transparency in the
IGF budget.  Although the projected budget for 2011-2015 is available on
the IGF website, the budget has been significantly revised since 2011
and the revisions and current version are not available to potential
sponsors.   Additionally, there have never been any details on
in-country costs from any prior IGF, and while venue and other related
local expenditures may not be necessary, the costs that are incurred by
the UN and the IGF Secretariat for the in-country portion (for
translation, security, personnel) should all be public.

Request #5, for UNDESA: Involve the MAG regularly on site selection
issues and open the site-selection process up to transparency.  In the
past, the selection of the host country has been a matter that's solely
between the Secretariat and the host countries, with no input from the
MAG on either process or selection. Yet site selection is crucial to the
functioning of the IGF.  In the future, the site selection procedures
should be more transparent with clear public deadlines set for
submission by candidate countries, together with information about what
the IGF can do for local economies.  Although the ultimate decision on
site selection can be made by UNDESA, we request that a committee of MAG
members be constituted to participate in the selection and review
process. This should start immediately for the selection of a location
in 2014.

cc:       Markus Kummer

            Chengetai Masango

            Members of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group

            [ . . . ]

Sincerely,

Parties signing this open letter:

______________

______________

______________

______________

______________

------

patrick ryan 

public policy & gov't relations sr. counsel, free expression and int'l
relations

patrickryan at google.com <mailto:patrickryan at google.com>  |
+1.512.751.5346

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