Access and 20 civil society organizations have published an open letter to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), pushing the UN body to ensure meaningful and sustainable civil society participation at the upcoming World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF).
Calling on the ITU to honor previous commitments during the WCIT, the letter requests an opportunity to submit public comments on the Secretary General’s report and draft opinions, in a manner similar to the Public Views and Opinions page for the WCIT, with the guarantee that these opinions will be entered into the formal record of the WTPF.
The letter also asks that the ITU make arrangements for civil society to fully participate as equals in this important multistakeholder event. Specifically, we ask for a method of expressing our views independent from national delegations, as well as live streaming for those following the meeting remotely.
The letter in full is included below. For more information on the WTPF, see Access’s primer on the meeting. For more information on the WTPF Informal Expert Group, of which Access is a member, see our roundup of its final meeting.
We also encourage other civil society organizations and their members to endorse this statement. Please email [email protected] to add your support.