At the start of Day 2 of SCCR 32, it was clear that the Chair was hoping the committee would go into informals i.e. smaller groups with maybe only the group coordinator and a few invited delegates. No NGOs.
Chair
So please let me know the result of your consultations regarding these specific point of entering in to informal discussion. As you see the advantage of informal discussion is to try to promote participation in discussion. Yesterday as you were aware we lost — there were some minutes of silence during the — our work and probably a small framework could try to with ensuring both participation of not only regional coordinators but some other members for each group. And secondly the opportunity for this audience, the complete audience to listen to our discussions, no, in order to be absolutely aware of what’s happening, what’s going on. In that situation that’s the advantage. But it was heard yesterday that here in this environment the discussion was getting some process well and some were satisfied with this. Of course, if you give me the flexibility to decide that, I will thank you. Because I will consider the dynamics of the process and we will use that framework when we need it. We open the floor for comments on this. Thailand has the floor.>> Thailand: On behalf the Asia-Pacific Group we believe that the informal session in the form of the regional coordinators plus three would be helpful for our interpretation of broadcasting organization and our group will constructively discuss on this issue.
>> CHAIR: Thank you to the Distinguished Delegate from Thailand and to Asian Group. Nigeria has the floor.
>> NIGERIA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And good morning. For the Africa group we would support having discussions in informal setting. If I take what you just summarized now I think it would be more difficult to have a silence amongst ourselves when we are facing each other in the smaller Focus Group. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
>> CHAIR: Thank you to the Distinguished Delegate from Nigeria for expressing her support. In confidence I could say that she was — sorry you can continue.
>> NIGERIA: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to say for the Africa group we have a preference for regional coordinator plus at least five, please. Thank you.
>> CHAIR: Thank you. We take note. Of course, with the flexibility of now entering in to discussion of numbering, so if you give me that flexibility to take that decision, I will thank you. And in this — another advantage that Distinguished Delegation from the Africa group shared with me yesterday was that in the informal framework you could not see my face during the majority of the session. So that will be another advantage
(Laughter).>> CHAIR: Bahamas has the floor.
>> Bahamas: We held discussion on inferals this morning. We are not opposed to having inform l as but we have some concerns on what would be the format and content of the informals. You address issue of transparency in relation to possibly having a room where persons could listen to the discussions. But we would like to understand exactly what your thinking is on the process and way forward for the informals. Thank you. (Informals).
>> CHAIR: Thank you very much for your comment. I take the point and I answer you immediately. We — I am interested in the whole — all the Delegations and even NGOs could listen what’s happening and discussed in the informal setting. That’s the arrangement we have prepared in case there is that decision. Secondly that what we are going to do is foster discussion initially on the two topics I have mentioned with the help of nonpapers. Nonpapers because they are not submissions but ways to foster discussion on those topics and of course the decisions — have to be taken here in the Plenary. So at some point we have to come back and inform the Plenary of the situation of our discussions. And the intention to have a tool that could be efficient if it fosters the discussion on the topics in a more direct and sincere way. But without an eye in the chance through after listening your other Delegations could share with you opinions positions, and even we could receive contributions from NGOs after listening what is being discussed through the delivery of material or other ways. If you are not still satisfied with that, I will be ready to answer other specific questions on that matter. Bahamas has the floor.
>> Bahamas: Thank you so much. Could you give more specificity to these nonpapers, exactly that will be?
>> CHAIR: After this procedural situation I am ready to explain the nonpapers, to show on screen and distribute it in print version. So in order to be aware all of us of what is contained there.
Greece has the floor.
>> GREECE: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I like other groups we had — we have discussed the issue of informals during our coordination meeting today. We see some merit in having the discussions in Plenary. One crucial element of which is that we believe that all positions are recorded when discussions are held in Plenary. Nevertheless, we would also like to seek some clarifications on what’s the objective of having the informals and with regards to participation, our group supports the idea of an open-ended informal consultation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
>> CHAIR: Thank you very much for your view. Would you explain us what the last part of your intervention, that you would wish that it could be an open-ended meeting, please? Greece has the floor.
>> GREECE: Yes. We haven’t decided on the exact number of participants. So we would — we wish that it would be open-ended for our group at least. Thank you.
>> CHAIR: Well, thanks for that clarification. As you are aware you are such a big group and respectful of different positions but we have to select the room that could — that we could work on and on the basis of the informal format it is important that at least we have — we could work with some groups representing not only their individual positions but the positions of the group. So in consequence I don’t necessarily see that all of the groups member will be invited to participate in the informals because in that case we can continue in this framework. We are all here. So considering so I request your flexibility and giving me as usual the decision to decide considering the room how many members could participate considering that they will not Act individually but they will coordinate with other members group. UK has the floor.
>> UNITED KINGDOM: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and good morning, colleagues. Yeah we wanted to take the floor to support what was said by our coordinator. As you say it is a bit unclear when you stated the objective and I quote is informals is to promote participation and discussion and it is difficult to understand how that will help if people are excluded from the discussion. It is difficult to promote discussion if people are not there. Our position basically informals have at least two downsides and there is no written record what’s been said. So it is also very difficult that you can later go back to the records and try to understand the position of individual Delegations and the other downside is that actually exclude not just Delegations and also stakeholders who have an important voice in the discussion. So for our Delegation any kind of closed format is — would be very difficult to accept. Like our coordinator said we have to change the format which as I said would not be in favor but we want it open-ended, meaning whoever wants to understand listen, participate, provide comments should be free to do so. So that’s in our interpretation what open-ended means but as I said we would still rather consider discussing it as we have done so far in this Plenary. Thank you.
>> CHAIR: Okay. Well, after listening to you I thank all Delegations who expressed flexibility for going in to informals and to regional groups who expressed some concerns and their requirement of previous clarifications. And those on the intentions the objectives the opportunity to do so and the disadvantages. And I am not going to lose more time on this issue. What I am going to do is just to at this point to continue discussions here on this framework with participation of all Delegations and NGOs. And to present the papers one reflecting the intention to go further in the issue of cablecasting and the Japanese proposal referred before and to foster discussion in this framework but or however if here the discussion is exhaustive because even you are invited to participate and we face silence here, I will take the decision to go to informals in order to foster in a smaller environment participation with the objective to reduce the gaps, to exchange alternatives and to test chances that — to approach other Delegations’ positions.