[IRP] Update on call: IRP working group for the IGF

[Dixie Hawtin]

Hello all,

Thanks to everyone who joined the IRP call or emailed in their thoughts. We had a great session - it was really good to hear from some long-time members and from new voices too!

On the call we had: Brett Solomon (Access), James Losey (New America), Katitza Rodriguez (EFF), Loreto Corredoira (CCINF), Shaila Mistry, Shawna Finnegan (APC) and myself (Global Partners). Apologies listed below.

All of the groups on the call are still in the planning phase internally about how to prepare for the IGF. We discussed each organization's approach and then focused on the IRP, and what we need to do as a Coalition to prepare for Azerbaijan.

A number of great potential ideas came up for issues for us to focus sessions on:
* Maximising the international system to promote and defend human rights online.
* Multi-stakeholderism: digging deeper in to what this really means, including tackling challenges such as the lack of civil society presence at ITU; making the concept really effective at the IGF; and so on.
* Fragmentation vs. openness of the internet: the risks of local versions of the Internet in Iran and elsewhere; interventions in the DNS system; etc.
* Azerbaijan - highlighting human rights issues; working with domestic civil society to put their human rights at the centre
* Access to the Internet as a Human Right - eg inviting Vint Cerf on a panel for a debate on is it, isnt it, or does it matter?
*A campaign to build awareness about the Charter and the 10 IRPs - perhaps by highlighting key violations of the principles.
*"Taking stock and looking forward" for the IRP itself - an internal meeting for the Coalition.

Also - on the call all agreed that we have reached an important moment for the IRP - we have achieved a lot over the past few years, in terms of the Charter and the 10 IRPS, raising awareness about human rights at the IGF and, perhaps most importantly, building connections and mutual trust between a wide range of individuals from all across the world. These are our strengths and something which we need to build on moving forwards. Especially now as challenges to human rights on the Internet are growing and intensifying.

It was suggested that we build an IRP Working Group for the IGF. This group will help define and lead on IRP activities in the run up to, and at the IGF - including the IRP meeting, and perhaps some additional workshops and statements.

There are already a few of us interested in being on the Working Group - please let me ASAP know if you would like to join us! It would also be great to know who is planning on going to the IGF.

Some important dates:
*Nominate yourself to be part of the Working Group: March 30 (this Friday)
*IGF Proposals due in: Thursday April 12
*Dynamic Coalition reports in: June 15
*IGF in Azerbaijan: November 6-9

Looking forward to a great IGF!
Dixie
Apologies for yesterday's received from: Allon Bar, Anriette Esterhuysen, Fatima Cambronero, Ginger Paque, Johan Hallenborg, Joy Liddicoat, Khaled Fattal, Marianne Franklin, Matthias Kettemann, Olivier Crepin-Leblond and Pranesh Prakash.
___________________________________________________________
Dixie Hawtin
Project Manager, Freedom of Expression and Digital Communications Global Partners and Associates
Development House, 56-64 Leonard St, EC2A 4LT, UK
Office: +44 (0)20 7549 0338
mailto:dixie at global-partners.co.uk
www.global-partners.co.uk<http://www.global-partners.co.uk/>

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