AGIP’s Membership in IGF’s MAG Renewed for Third Term

NEW YORK – The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon renewed on May 6, 2009 the membership of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) in the Internet Governance Forum’s (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) for the third consecutive year.

Expressing his contentment with this renewal, AGIP Executive Director Charles Sha’ban said, “The renewal of our membership for the third term is a proof that AGIP has been working in line with MAG’s agenda and is participating actively in the Group’s work and mission.”

“AGIP as always will work hand in hand with the former and new members to fulfill the Group’s mission,” Sha’ban pointed out.

Since the renewed composition of the MAG was the result of broad-based consultations, Sha’ban pointed out that such composition represents a balance in terms of geographical diversity, gender and experience in Internet governance issues.

A total of 56 members, 18 among them new, have been appointed.  The Advisory Group members are from all stakeholder groups, representing governments, private sector and civil society, including the academic and technical communities, representing all regions. The Group now includes 20 women, thus further improving the gender balance.

The Special Adviser for Internet Governance to the Secretary-General, Nitin Desai, has been asked to continue as the Advisory Group Chairman.  He may select special advisers to assist him.  Representatives of relevant intergovernmental organizations and the European Commission are also invited to attend the Advisory Group meetings.

All Advisory Group members serve in their personal capacity, but are expected to have extensive linkages with their respective stakeholder groups.  The main task of the Advisory Group is to provide advice on the preparations of the next meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, which is to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 15 - 18, 2009.

The Internet Governance Forum is an outcome of the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, which took place in 2005.  In the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, Governments asked the Secretary-General to convene a “new forum for policy dialogue” to discuss issues related to key elements of Internet governance and set out the Forum’s mandate.

The Forum’s first three meetings took place in Athens, Greece, in November 2006, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2007 and in Hyderabad, India, in December 2008.
The fourth annual IGF Meeting will be held November 15-18, 2009 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

For further information, please visit www.intgovforum.org.