GENERAL STATEMENT BY WEBFORCE INTERNATIONAL

On the Occasion of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and of the Cluster of WSIS-related events.

            Today, WebForce International Federation, a Non governmental Organization (NGO) in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), is an ITU-D sector member (International Telecommunication Union). The ITU, in charge of Information, Communication Technologies and telecommunication, is a specialized agency of the United Nations, and has been widely open to the Civil Society for a long time, for numerous companies and organizations of the private sector are ITU Sectors Members.

            Today, WebForce proposes the creation of the UN-NGO Alliance (temporary title). It is built within the framework of the WSIS and intended to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) specialists. Indeed, it seems important to us to strengthen bonds between NGOs involved that wish it with the ITU. Currently, around thirty NGOs directly dealing with ICTs are about to sign a memorandum of understanding with WebForce, and so to join the current members.

            The special consultative status that is granted to some NGOs means that the latter are specialized in one or several defined fields. Otherwise, the ECOSOC gives them the general consultative status. And WebForce International has been specialized in ICTs for 20 years. For example, the CONGO, of which complete name is "the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations", seems to be intended to gather as many NGOs as it wishes – as members – or even if it has a formal representation mandate, to represent them. However, these statutes are limited to fixed activities.

            Moreover, each NGO in special consultative status with the ECOSOC has the same rights and obligations as another NGO in special consultative status too. They can only pretend to represent their own members and in no case the whole Civil Society.

            Furthermore, concerning the Civil Society, WebForce International has noticed numerous failures or even dissensions etc. during the World Summit on the Information Society. Dissensions occurred because of a heterogeneous and non specialized Civil Society, which pretended to deal with topics with no adequacy with the WSIS.

Now, because of numerous dysfunctions, notably from what it was called the "Civil Society Secretariat", we request the reorganization of the latter, and, as a consequence, to recreate a Liaison office, with best consensus as possible. This would be a Secretariat between the ITU and the Responsible Civil Society. Only organizations with direct links to communication and telecommunications as well as organizations with specific knowledge in this field would be involved in this process.

            This Secretariat would be even-handed and only have an administrative role. Various committees and commissions, as decision-makers, would be created in a world network that would coordinate a defined number of working groups. Obviously, such a Secretariat needs financing and we invite all interested stakeholders to think about this subject and to make proposals.

            WebForce International has already proposed a World Summit of the Responsible Civil Society, concerned by telecommunication subjects, which could take place in Tunisia and be entitled: "Tunis +2". We take the opportunity of this statement to make a call for cooperation in the implementation of this "Tunis +2", towards the ITU Sector Members, as well as towards the private sector and NGOs concerned by telecommunications, and even towards States, if they wish it.

As a consequence, we invite all stakeholders from the Responsible Civil Society concerned by ICTs, to come and discuss and share their opinions today, the 18th May 2007, from 3.00 pm (15.00) in the Room M2 - Montbrillant building in the ITU premises.

            If you are interested in our actions, you can fulfil the following form and give it to one of the WebForce members that are in the room. We will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you.