[DC] DC governance frameworks

Sat Apr 12 10:40:53 EDT 2025

Dear Amali, all,

Many thanks for your quick return and many useful information about your DC! You anticipated my follow-up after yesterday’s call. We agreed to gather information on the DCs internal governance frameworks as an input into the webinar planned by the IGF strategy group. This issue has been addressed by the paper I mentioned in my previous email. The short version signals two issues to be explored (p 4):

Recommend hat the DCs develop written governance frameworks
Declop a blueprint for DC governance frameworks to serve as a source of inspiration for DCs that want to develop such frameworks

At this stage, it would be premature to recommend either option. We therefore thought it would be best to gather information. Some DCs might have a written charter on their internal governance - if so, please share it with the DCCG list! Others, and I presume the majority, might follow unwritten rules, based on mutual trust. If this is the case, could you kindly sue up the basic principles of your internal governance in a few bullet points (as we have the Three =s for the DCs: Open Membership, Open Mailing Lists and Open archives).

Amalis in her email below shared a lot of useful information about DDHT and its operations. What I deduct from her email are the following principles:
Different categories of members (stakeholder members, associate members, NextGen subgroup)
One coordinator
Email list as main tool for communication
Monthly calls

This is my take based on your email - it may need adjustments and more details,  but it is this kind of information we are looking for as an input into the webinar.

In any case, beyond this webinar it will be a useful starting point into further discussions on governance frameworks.

Many thanks in advance

Best,
Markus

> On 12 Apr 2025, at 05:09, Amali De Silva - Mitchell <gphlilanthi at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear Markus ans Roman
> 
> Re your request for info on DC operations
> 
> DDHT was conceived in 2019 and registered as a DC in 2020. We were represented by a diverse group of members from rhe private sector, technology, academia and government from Asia, Europe, Africa and the America's. We gained membership at three levels. EList members, active members and stakeholders. We encourage active members to write a short paper for the DC book and work across two years with us to become a stakeholder member, thus contributing to the DC body of knowledge. We accept MAG  members as stakeholder members. Stakeholder members have administration responsibility, can host and represent the DC. We have one coordinator who is supported by the stakeholder members. 
> 
> We have, to 2024 held sessions at IGF, WSIS and Eurodig each year. We have also written for our book and developed joint member sessions and papers. We have hosted intersessional events. We also contributed to GDC and OHR etc. Our work has been noted by other agencies. We are also in the newspaper. Oir members also publish extensively. We have also made it a point to collaborate with other DCs. 
> 
> Our email list is our source of communication world wide at an equal /  level playing field for all members and also acts as our data repository. It is managed by a stakeholder member. We request etiquette / repectfulness and diplomatic participation at all times. We encourage the voices of oir members and always have open mic components to all events. The list is open to the public.  
> 
> We hold monthly meeting calls if we are not planning for an event. When we plan events we can hold several meetings. However, we find that the email thread conversations we have online are rich in content and often form the basis of an idea for a session. 
> 
> We have had several associate members who join us actively for a short period of time on  specific topics. We gain members often by word of mounth but we also have members of the public who just sign up!  We have engaged with a very broad group of people internationally over the years. 
> 
> We have also commenced a Next Gen subgroup from the stakeholder members, to lead on topics of interest to Next Gen. Our 2025 proposal is initiated by Next Gen with full DC support. We also have a mentorship program. 
> 
> Our elist is active as we share information with each other...if a member wants to be active, we request them to share their bio with the list. 
> 
> If there are any further questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me...
> 
> Host counties must support the DCs and hence it should be part of any new mandate that DCs have a place at the annual IGF meetings. Some fair performance measures could be applied for selection. 
> 
> Regards, Amali
> Coord DC DDHT
> 
> On Thu, Apr 10, 2025, 11:27 p.m. Markus Kummer <kummer.markus at gmail.com <mailto:kummer.markus at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> Dear Wout, all,
>> 
>> Thanks for reminding us - The objectives of the WG strategy should definitely be on the agenda of today’s call. WG 4 deals with the implementation of the São Paulo guidelines. The plan is to host a webinar where the DCs explains with internal governance mechanisms. 
>> 
>> Here is the text from the google doc:
>> 
>> Quote: The narrative should also explain how the activities of DCs are managed in ways that are fully consistent with the São Paulo Guidelines, in particular with regard to: 
>> i) definition of policy focus and mission;  
>> ii) sustained inclusive and geographically diverse multistakeholder collaboration;  
>> iii) openness, accountability and transparency of process and;
>> iv) inclusive consensus-based decision-taking, based on effective and comprehensive procedures of consultation that ensure all diverse perspectives are taken fully into account. Unquote
>> 
>> As this is also dealt with in the paper on the DCS (“Digital cooperation in practice”), I suggest discussing this under the agenda item on DC accountability.
>> 
>> I look forwards to our call later today!
>> 
>> Best regards
>> Markus
>> 
>>> On 8 Apr 2025, at 13:52, Wout de Natris - van der Borght <denatrisconsult at hotmail.nl <mailto:denatrisconsult at hotmail.nl>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Dear Roman and colleagues,
>>> 
>>> Unfortunately, both Mark Carvell and I are unable to join this week. I will look for a replacement, but cannot promise one.
>>> 
>>> My comments would have been on the webinar and the WG Strategy objectives as the six working groups are now called.
>>> 
>>> 1) The webinar. In my opinion it was a success. To have drawn over a 100 people for a first time, is good news. Congratulations and thank you to Rajendra and Roman.
>>> I would like to hear: when the next ones are scheduled?; with what topic? and; who is leading the work?
>>> 
>>> 2) The WG strategy objectives. It would be good if all involved report on the status. From IS3C's side
>>> WG 1. No activity as far as I'm aware.
>>> WG 2. Text delivered. We're waiting for the WSIS organisers to decide on workshops.
>>> WG 3 Amrith
>>> WG 4 Markus
>>> WG 5 Avri
>>> WG 6 Text suggestion in the doc. All DCs are invited to share comments in the Google Dochttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1UP8tcSMP2dDvqJWyDZWLBAa6EZxp9VHH5HApxLvN30Q/edit?usp=sharing. Deadline is 10 April.
>>> 
>>> Have a good meeting and speak to you next time.
>>> 
>>> Kind regards,
>>> 
>>> Wout
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>>> De Natris Consult
>>> Kamerlingh Onnesstraat 43 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Kamerlingh+Onnesstraat+43?entry=gmail&source=g>                                                        Tel: +31 648388813           
>>> 2014 EK Haarlem                                                                          Skype: wout.de.natris
>>> 
>>> denatrisconsult at hotmail.nl <mailto:denatrisconsult at hotmail.nl>
>>> 
>>> http://www.denatrisconsult.nl <http://www.denatrisconsult.nl/>
>>> 
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