[IGFmaglist] 2014 Interim Chair Selection

Thu Jan 23 07:47:43 EST 2014

I am honored to be a new appointee to the MAG, and will ask for more experienced MAG members to share experiences, which I will fully assess. I am not new to IGF, as I have participated in IGF since its inception, and in fact, I want to ensure that all interested IGF-ers are fully incorporated in planning.
I was disappointed about the last IGF, which somehow seemed to allow more workshops if one was a MAG-ite. I am new to the MAG, but I will strive to be an advisor, enabling others to participate. 
As to appointment of special advisor: let's just say: we welcome,and ask UN SecGen to advance this appointment.We have serious work, and an Interim Chair, or a final appointment of Special Advisor are important.
critical: support to Chengetai/Secretariat.
Marilyn Cade -- new member of MAG/business

From: iza at anr.org
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 20:27:10 +0900
To: subichaturvedi at gmail.com
CC: Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org
Subject: Re: [IGFmaglist] 2014 Interim Chair Selection

I also support our effort of making a statement, irrespective of if we had it before or not,to seek for early appointment of the Special Advisor.

izumi

2014/1/23 Subi Chaturvedi <subichaturvedi at gmail.com>

Dear Patrick, Bill & friends,
I remember clearly on the call where the genesis of the idea came about as to how the IGF engages with the other global IG processes both inputs in them and informs itself, we had clearly tabeled that the MAG should also turn the lens inwards & examine ever so delicately, whether there is scope to reaffirm or revisit its own mandate. 

Markus had also seemed receptive and so did several others in echoing the thoughts.
For both a sense of stability- financial and institutional even psychological so that some of the pertinent existential questions do not take centre stage, when we can channelise the energy in more constructive pursuits and the actual IGF, we need clarity of both tenture and the support.

This ambiguity or a state of facts as they are communicated, though from well meaning, honest,hardworking sincere and well intentioned people still hurts the overall objective as more than ever before we need to build bridges and create sustainable mechanisms for orphan issues and homes for key questions in IG policy and even the terms of engagement. I prefer that its the IGF an inclusive and bottom forum and not a commission that takes this space. Currently a void.

If a statement is too strong a word, a request a proposal can and must be tabeled for consideration. Markus has done a stellar job and if he's in agreement instead of an interim announcement of two months we should strongly support his candidature for permance and continuity  atleast of a substantial duration.

This is the time to truly create communities that sustain & mentor an enabling environment for IG to remain  participatory & multistakeholder, and I do not see a better person more suited to fulfill the mandate.

Happy to support this initiative. 
"The best government is the government that governs the least." Thoreau
I do think the sucess of the IGF, Bali despite all odds and insurmountable ones, calls for this leap of faith and I do find us, a MAG in a state of preparedness.
Warmest
Subi

On 23 Jan 2014 14:58, "Patrick Ryan" <patrickryan at google.com> wrote:

>

> Bill,

>

> You're absolutely right on this.  The leadership from the Secretariat and DESA is very strong under the circumstances (limited funding, limited time-constrained mandate, etc). However, there really has not been any cohesive effort on the part of the MAG to unite and make statements about what we think is important.  My attempts to try and initiate that on an individual level (with my draft reform doc here) have also failed, perhaps because of a combination of too much ambition, too aggressive in scope, too aggressive generally, among other things.

>

> Starting with the Special Advisor (I sort of address that in Point I.5 of the doc linked above) might be a good place to start.  A statement from the MAG----or even a subset----that expresses a view in a broader way is a great idea.  

>

> Has there ever been a statement from the MAG to any effect?

>

> If you or anybody would be interested in starting a letter or other doc to see who might be willing to sign on, I think that could be useful.  As reflected in this email exchange, it's often difficult to separate the people from the problem (the people are extremely well intentioned and effective----the problems arise instead from the complexities of the institution).  Bringing focus to some of the problems in a way that shows consensus from the MAG would be really smart.  I'm not suggesting a vote, but working through a unified set of recommendations would be really smart.

>

> Perhaps the initiative that Subi is leading could be part of this?

>

> Patrick

>

> ------

> patrick ryan 

> public policy & gov't relations senior counsel, free expression and int'l relations

> patrickryan at google.com | +1.512.751.5346

>

>

> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 2:15 AM, William Drake <wjdrake at gmail.com> wrote:

>>

>> Hi

>>

>> Thanks Chengetai.  Not to belabor the point, but just to be clear,

>>

>> On Jan 23, 2014, at 9:32 AM, Chengetai Masango <cmasango at unog.ch> wrote:

>>

>>> Dear Bill,

>>>

>>> I would not read it that way. My message also says that : 

>>>

>>> “This step is only a stopgap measure, and the interim chair will serve while the process of selecting and appointing a Special Advisor is concluded. “

>>

>>

>> I did see that. But as there’s been stopgap measures before, the process and timeline for this to be “concluded” is unclear, and it is unknown at least to some of us whether this would entail both positions or just the chair, as well as whether there’s an intention to solicit stakeholder input in advance of any choices, I was just wondering if there was any interest among MAG members in asking for clarity and urging action.  If the feeling is that it remains advisable for the MAG to say nothing, ok we can sit in the dark and wait for smoke signals.  Either way, I didn’t mean to cause any discomfort...

>>

>>>

>>> Therefore action is being taken.

>>

>>

>> Noted.

>>

>> Thanks much,

>>

>> Bill

>>

>>>

>>> Best regards,

>>>

>>> Chengetai 

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> On 23 Jan, 2014, at 09:27, William Drake <wjdrake at gmail.com> wrote:

>>>

>>>> Hi Chengetai

>>>>

>>>> On Jan 20, 2014, at 5:06 PM, Chengetai Masango <CMASANGO at unog.ch> wrote:

>>>>

>>>>> With the announcement of the renewed MAG, the next step is to select an interim chair, to chair the open consultations and MAG meetings for the preparation of the  programme and schedule of the 2014 annual IGF meeting

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> So I guess this means that DESA has no intention of filling the two posts that have been open for years any time soon, and we should just continue to reappoint interim chairs and crawl along that way?  I’m not sure this is the best solution at a time when the IG landscape is heating up and the need for the IGF to be strengthened is increasing, at least in the view of many folks. I would assume that funders would like more clarity too…although maybe it’s already all clear to them, I’m out of that loop and wouldn’t know.

>>>>

>>>> Perhaps this is naive, but is there any way to get some sort of declaration of intent out of DESA?   

>>>>

>>>> If there’s no alternative given the timeline and UN politics and we must appoint an interim, could we perhaps tie this to a MAG statement saying we do not want to continue with this model beyond 2014 and need the open positions to be filled with full-fledged appointments thereafter?

>>>>

>>>> Best,

>>>>

>>>> Bill

>>>>

>>>> ***********************************************

>>>> William J. Drake

>>>> International Fellow & Lecturer

>>>>   Media Change & Innovation Division, IPMZ

>>>>   University of Zurich, Switzerland

>>>> Chair, Noncommercial Users Constituency, 

>>>>   ICANN, www.ncuc.org

>>>> william.drake at uzh.ch (direct), wjdrake at gmail.com (lists),

>>>>   www.williamdrake.org

>>>> ***********************************************

>>>>

>>>

>>

>>

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                     >> Izumi Aizu <<
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