Cablegate: Got Reaction to Icann Policy; Wsis Related Issues:

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS TUNIS 001458

SIPDIS

STATE FOR E (AMBASSADOR GROSS,) EB, EB/CIP, NEA/MAG
(LAWRENCE,) NEA/PPR AND EB/CBA
COMMERCE FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (ROTH,) CLDP (TEJTEL,) AND
ADVOCACY CENTER (JAMES)
USUN GENEVA (WSIS WATCHER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ECON ECPS TS EDRC
SUBJECT: GOT REACTION TO ICANN POLICY; WSIS RELATED ISSUES:
COMMUNICATION MINISTER SAYS U.S. VISIT SUCCESSFUL

1. THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH GOT MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES MONTASSAR OUAILI JULY 6 TO DISCUSS THE COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT'S RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION TO RETAIN
OVERSIGHT AND VETO POWER ON THE INTERNET CORPORATION FOR
ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS (ICANN.) OUAILI WAS LESS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT OF USG OVERSIGHT OF ICANN, WHICH THE
GOT HAS NO PROBLEM WITH, BUT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE U.S. AND
EU REACH SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS ON INTERNATIONAL INTERNET
STANDARDS--AND DO THIS BEFORE THE SUMMIT. HE SAID THERE WAS
CONCERN THAT IF THE U.S. PURSUES AN INDEPENDENT POSITION IN
RELATION TO THE INTERNET, IT WOULD DAMAGE COMMON INTERESTS
AND NEEDLESSLY CREATE COMPETING INTERNET STANDARDS.

2. OUAILI ALSO RECAPPED HIS RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON,
CHICAGO, AND SAN FRANCISCO TO DISCUSS WSIS, AND ENCOURAGE
U.S. PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION. IN WASHINGTON, OUAILI MET
WITH EB/AMBASSADOR GROSS, AND THROUGHOUT THE TRIP WITH
SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
HE SAID THE TRIP WAS "VERY SUCCESSFUL," AND HE EXPECTED
HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATIONS FROM INTEL, CISCO, SUN, MOTOROLA, IBM,
AND HP AT A MINIMUM FOR WSIS, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN TUNISIA
IN NOVEMBER 2005. HE SAID ORGANIZERS NOW EXPECT MORE THAN
18,000 PEOPLE TO ATTEND.

3. AS HE HAS DONE PREVIOUSLY, OUAILI EMPHASIZED THAT WSIS
WOULD BE AN INCLUSIVE GATHERING, BUT THAT HE WOULD LIKE U.S
HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETING IN
GENEVA BE FOCUSED ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES, AND NOT
DIGRESS INTO A FORUM FOR CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF TUNISIA'S
CIVIL SOCIETY ISSUES. MINISTER OUAILI STATED THAT DURING THE
LAST PREPCOM MEETING, THE DELEGATION WAS "OVERDOSED" ON
QUESTIONS OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THAT EACH CIVIL
SOCIETY GATHERING HELD DURING THE MEETINGS FOCUSED ON
TUNISIA. THE AMBASSADOR RESPONDED THAT IN AN INCLUSIVE
ENVIRONMENT, CRITICISM CAN AND SHOULD BE EXPECTED, AND IT
WOULD BE USEFUL TO BE OPEN WITH CRITICS, AS TUNISIA HAD BEEN
WITH VISITS FROM THE NGO HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH RECENTLY.
TUNISIA COULD BEST BE SERVED BY ALLOWING VISITORS TO SEE FOR
THEMSELVES ITS PROGRESS TO DATE, AND IN CREATING AN INCLUSIVE
ENVIRONMENT. ISSUES OUAILI WOULD LIKE TO SEE DISCUSSED AT
THE NEXT WORKING GROUP MEETING ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE TO BE
HELD THIS MONTH INCLUDE: OPEN SOURCING, (I.E. PROMOTING FREE
SOFTWARE,) AND BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BETWEEN NORTH AND
SOUTH.
HUDSON

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