GENEVA - Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) Regional Office Executive Director, Charles Sha’ban, took part in the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Geneva, February 27-28, 2008.
One of the core issues discussed at the meeting was a mandate to make proposals on a suitable rotation among the MAG members, based on recommendations from the various interested groups.
“The process of rotation and renewal of the MAG membership was discussed thoroughly, as it was seen as a necessary step to increase the transparency and legitimacy of the MAG,” Sha’ban said.
“The MAG decided that there was a need for simplicity in the rotation process, in order to ensure continuity and at the same time increase the representation of the different sectors from the developing countries,” he added.
The meeting also focused on the outline for the third IGF meeting program to be held in Hyderabad, India, December 3-6, 2008.
“As part of its process to increase transparency and to contribute to a better interaction between the MAG and the broader community, it was decided that workshops are not to be held in parallel with the main sessions of the Hyderabad meeting,” Sha’ban, who is a member of the MAG, pointed out.
“By the end of this month, the structure for the new MAG should be approved and selected by the UN Secretary-General,” he concluded.
The IGF was set up by the United Nations Secretary-General in November 2005, at the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunisia, to discuss issues related to Internet governance.
The second meeting of the IGF was held in Rio de Janeiro, November 12-15, 2007, while the first meeting took place in Athens, Greece, October 30 - November 2, 2006.