The final-final WSIS Prepcom began this afternoon with the Sub-committee on Internet Governance attempting to push through the significant amount of bracketed text left to negotiate. Then the Sub-committee on follow-up, implementation and “all other issues” tried to reach agreement on the texts on international cooperation and post-summit follow-up.
As we have been predicting for awhile, governments were not able to complete negotiations at the “final” Prepcom in September in Geneva. Instead significant disagreement remains on the final decisions of the WSIS pertaining to internet governance and any post-Summit implementation structures.
In Sub-committee B on follow-up and implementation, governments debated how specific should the post-WSIS implementation system be enumerated in the final texts. Some governments, notably the EU, would like to leave the language at the level of principle, and ask the UN Secretary General to take charge of recommending a specific post-Summit process.
However a large number of other delegations would like a more detailed implementation plan stated in the final texts, including an annex listing which international organizations would be responsible for coordinating which area of the Geneva Action Plan.
Meanwhile, in Sub-committee A on Internet Governance, governments struggle to reach agreement on a final text, particularly in the areas of government oversight and a “forum” on internet governance. Whether or not something will be able to be brokered in these final days is an open question.
It’s going to be a long day…