The following are the outputs of the real-time captioning taken during a DC Coordination virtual call. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> MARKUS KUMMER: Hello, everyone. Thanks for joining the call. It's the top of the hour, and we have ten participants. I think we're still waiting for some more to join, so give them another minute or two to log in.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Markus. Hi, everyone. It would be good just to wait a couple of minutes because it will just take a moment to embed the captions. We have a captioner on standby.
(Captioner trying to get the captions embedded. Please stand by)
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Assuming there's no objection, the call will be captioned and the captioning will be made available on the IGF website after the call. We just had a chat, and Jutta, the comoderator, is having a problem with the application. Will try and restart it, but I think on the whole we made good experience with new remote participation tool that is Zoom. It seems to work well and seems also to be fairly intuitive to use.
(One moment, still trying to get captioning embedded in Zoom)
There are a few -- I mean, the good news is all the DCs were asked for a slot, and they all were given their slot who asked for a slot, and I think that was one of the main priorities, and we have also been given a slot for a session, and Jutta has been driving this and has asked all for a session that would be based on the SDGs, essentially from the Dynamic Coalition point of view, how each you feel you can contribute to one particular and Jutta would be available, and with that, I would like to turn it over to you, Jutta, please.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Hello, everybody. It seems that Zoom wasn't working very well, but I had to restart and now I hope you can hear me.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: We can hear you very well, yes. Of the
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you for giving me the floor, Markus. Yes, so you said I was the driving force for main session, and, obviously, I wasn't strong enough because we got feedback only from three Dynamic Coalitions so far, so many of the Dynamic Coalitions except for the core team of us did not reply within the deadline.
Still, we did not get any negative feedback from any Dynamic Coalition that I did not like the approach that was suggested to build on the Sustainable Development Goals, but in a different way than we did last year, and also different to the other main session that will also deal with the Dynamic -- the Sustainable Development Goals, so the main purpose would be to showcase how the Dynamic Coalitions each in their own capacity and their own background address issues show that in a joint effort the work is contributing to the SDGs, and the second, as well, important purpose was to demonstrate that Dynamic Coalitions are -- groups are a format that is working constantly throughout the year to achieve objective goals, and so that we put into the main session, and the template we had sent around asked for which SDG is your work dedicated to, to which does your work contribute, and then also what has already been achieved with regard to that specific SDG, and then what would be the plans for the next five to six years, so for 2025.
And then also from the Dynamic Coalitions was the suggestion made that a Dynamic Coalition should like all workshop and session proposals state before phrase policy questions that should be addressed during the main session, so as said before, we have received so far feedback from three Dynamic Coalitions, but, of course, to bring it together to main sessions where all Dynamic Coalitions are represented in an equal manner, we would need to get the template filled in by all Dynamic Coalitions.
Markus, I think you had already got confirmation from Tatiana Tropina that she would be ready to take over the task as moderator for the session, and I remember very well when she did that last time that she got a very good briefing from Dynamic Coalitions, so I do think it's in the own interest of Dynamic Coalitions to prepare for the template, send it in that we have some substance we can give to the moderator to have a very successful session where all Dynamic Coalitions are recognized with their work, specific themes and issues, and the type of -- of format Dynamic Coalitions are that should also be kind of recognizable during the sessions so that people who are new to the IGF ecosystem better understand what is a Dynamic Coalition and how can I engage myself with a Dynamic Coalition. And please feel free to have any questions or give us your comments what you think and feel about the format and the suggestions. Thank you.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Thank you very much, Jutta, are and you're perfectly right to stress the importance of the template and the input and, as Tatiana, yes, indicated her willingness to moderate, and she was very good at the Geneva IGF. She had read all the background papers and she was able to bring out the best of the representatives of the Dynamic Coalitions around on the podium.
And there is -- I think we made it clear the first time we had such a combined substantive session that the preconditions for Dynamic Coalitions who presented on the session will be that they did their homework and presented the paper. The template, I would say, is the starting point, but I would also like to suggest that on top of the template that maybe, you know, we should have a one-pager high-level summary of how each Dynamic Coalition positions itself to the SDGs. That could be one or several SDGs as whatever you consider it, but that would not -- the template is the starting point, and in addition, I think it would be useful to have maybe a -- another substantive one-pager, but whatever we agree to go forward with, I think it needs to be clear that the entry ticket into the main session is do the homework beforehand, and to do that with filling in the template.
The question -- and now I'm turning to -- Eleonora, as you all know, mentioned it on the last call, she will be moving out of the Secretariat for taking a sabbatical -- educational sabbatical, getting an MA, but you will be able to maybe stay involved a little bit, but in any case, in terms of deadlines, by when do we need to provide all the templates from a secretary point of view? And we are, obviously, aware -- and that's also -- explains, maybe, the limited feedback, Jutta, you had on your call. It is main holiday period in the northern hemisphere, but in any case, we still have time. The IGF Berlin is in late November, but what are the deadlines that are absolutely important to respect, Eleonora. Can you please guide us through the calendar?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Markus. Hi, everyone. So I think that maybe in the Secretariat we had been a little bit ambitious in setting our initial deadlines, and we had asked by the first week of September the -- you know, the content of each main session be finalized within the templates and, to some degree, the speakers, and I think that would be tight to ask, especially where the speakers are concerned, but by the very least, the first week of September the description of the main session, and in DCs' case, this will be each of the templates, should really be done by then because we will have a lot of public-facing information about the overall IGF schedule at that point, and we want -- you know, we want people to be able to, you know, go to our website, click on the schedule, and for the main sessions, which are, you know, more high visibility, to be able to read what they're all about, so I would say that by the first week of September, the descriptive content at least has to be finalized and then, you know, who exactly will speak. I don't know if this is something that we may consider for our own session to have, you know, some high-level keynote speakers or something like that. The exact names, that is a little less important, but, really, the content has to be there by the first week of September.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Well, thank you for that. In other words, we could set 31st of August as a firm deadline?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Yes.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: So can we agree on that, that those DCs that want to be part of the main session on SDGs have to submit their template by 31st of August, and would there be support for my suggestion for an additional one-pager overview paper that would also help the moderator, where essentially, you know, you can massage your messages, so to speak, but, again, looking back at how the Geneva meeting worked, these background papers helped our moderator to prepare her for her role and to make the session really dynamic, and it should not be that difficult, I feel, for a DC to produce a one-pager as a sort of a kind of flyer why you should look at the work you're doing, which would be slightly different from the template that Jutta has produced but would be more, shall I call it, a commercial for the DC, but -- yes.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Markus, if I may step in here.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Please do.
>> JUTTA CROLL: With regard to the deadline and the content input, the first idea was after gathering these short templates where Dynamic Coalitions only name the SDG they are related to and what they've achieved and what they plan and probably a policy question, so that is very short and small homework, I should say. It shouldn't take too much time. And once we had collected that, the idea was that then it might be possible to group Dynamic Coalitions and work out a bit better what additional questions or additional presentation points for the Dynamic Coalitions could be. So I'm a bit afraid if we get these short templates only by 31st of August, we wouldn't have time until September to make out the real structure of the sessions, so we would need, then, some more time to understand how it fits together, which Dynamic Coalitions could be in the first group and maybe address SDG 1, 2, 3, or whatsoever, and then the next Dynamic Coalitions are second part of the session, but first, to group that and to sort it out how it fits all together to demonstrate that Dynamic Coalitions are somehow a network of networks and all contribute to the SDGs, I do think it would be better to do it in a two-step way, having this short information first, then analyzing it, making a suggestion to Dynamic Coalitions whether they agree to this structure of the session, and then afterwards ask them for additional information when we have the structure along the SDGs that are addressed. Does it make sense to you?
>> MARKUS KUMMER: It definitely makes sense. I think it's -- again, it's a very structured German approach to the session.
(Laughter)
My only concern is maybe because of the holiday period, and there were some comments in the chat that the 31st of August deadline seems sort of easier to many, but also, as you -- as we all are aware, the Dynamic Coalitions also need to coordinate among themselves, and they find it not always that easy, but the two-step approach obviously is a very sensible approach, and we could use it as a -- what will be then the first deadline, mid-August, 15th of August, or --
>> JUTTA CROLL: It --
>> MARKUS KUMMER: -- in terms of deadline.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Yes. It depends on what we really need to deliver on 1st of September. If it's fine that we just have the structure, I think it would be easy if we have all templates done maybe by -- what is -- the Monday -- the last week of August, the 26th of August. If we have it then, then we would have five working days to give the whole thing a structure. If that is enough for what Eleonora demanded for 1st of September, then I would say, okay, let's say 26th of August. We have, then, the working days to build the structure, and then afterwards go back to the DCs and ask them for additional inputs and content for the session.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Well, 26th of August, okay. That is a little bit earlier than 31st of August, but I think it makes very much sense, then, that we could actually, as you said, look at the input and try and also structure the session. There's my question to Eleonora, how detailed needs the session write-up paper, how detailed does it need to be in the first week of September?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Markus, and thank you, Jutta, for also clarifying, you know, what -- what the -- what the intent was with the templates, and, actually, I think what you said makes a lot of sense. So the templates that DCs are being asked to fill out now are, in fact, you know, shorter than what the overall main session template will look like. I think the only concern or -- or objective from the Secretariat side is really, you know, to have content there to show people so that, you know, by the first week of August, they can -- you know, they can have a sense of what the session is about. It's just -- we cannot have, like, a blank page, you know, when somebody clicks on a main session, but to -- to answer you, Markus, I think if, let's say, all the, you know, short main session templates that the DCs are filling out are gathered, I think that, you know, a week will be enough to be able to fill out the larger main session template, where, you know, the real kind of element that needs to be there that you won't -- that won't be in the smaller DC templates is an overall description of the session and the structure, as Jutta was saying, but, for instance, the -- you know, the big main session template, it does ask for policy questions, so the policy questions that DCs are giving us in the smaller templates can simply, you know, for the most part be transferred over. I think it'll be just a question of consolidating the information a little bit and writing a nice description.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Thank you. Yes, I think -- but as Olivier said in the chat, the 26th of August is still in the middle of summer holidays, and it seems as the summers get longer and hotter, the summer holidays also get longer and hotter.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Markus, I do think we already -- somehow we have already filled in the main session template, and that was also sent out to the Dynamic Coalitions, so if at least they could agree to what was in this -- so the document we had sent out had two pages. One page was the general main session template, and then we have already filled in some of the information. And the second page was for each Dynamic Coalition individually to be filled in, so I still do think it's not such -- such a lot of things that we are asking from Dynamic Coalitions to -- to have a look at the first page and say, oh, it's okay, or maybe could you change this or that to have agreement from all Dynamic Coalitions.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yeah, no, I tend to agree with you. I think it should be possible to come up with a high-level response and also -- I mean, obviously, what we're asking for each Dynamic Coalition is pick one SDG, can also be two, but where you feel you're contributing to the SDGs, and that needs to be a bottom-up decision, and it was also suggested at the last call that the formulation of the policy questions should also be a bottom-up decision coming from the DCs, which policy questions do you think you can respond, and that's -- you know, it should not require that much work, even in a holiday, to come up with something. And also, the other thing, then, is the speakers. Obviously, you will have to coordinate who will be on the microphone on behalf of your Dynamic Coalition. Is that a member of your coalition or do you ask some more visible speaker who is prominent in a particular field of your field of activity? But that's essentially your selection, and there you do need to -- obviously to coordinate within the members of your -- among the members of your Dynamic Coalition.
And I think, also, we will still have room to make changes after the last week of August, and the -- what is it, that's almost three months ahead of the meeting. I mean, but the idea is to have something there and -- okay, changes are always possible, and we may also refine the structure as we go along, but we should have some basic script out where people can get an idea what it's all about. And also, that brings me back to a point we discussed before. There will be a main session on SDGs, which will be driven by the MAG but which will have a -- obviously a different approach, and we will need to find a title that makes it clear that here we're looking more at micro picture of SDGs, not at the overall picture of what SDGs like to -- aim to achieve.
In chatting, I came up with a -- on the top of my mind with drilling down on SDGs, but it can be something else, but the idea is we need to find a title that differentiates the DC session from the other session on SDGs, and I don't know whether, Jutta, as a MAG member, whether you have any particular insights or suggestions to give to the DCs as regards the title and the approach.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Hi, Markus. I don't think it's yet defined whether the others of the session -- who will organize it and what title the other session will have. I do remember from last week's -- from two weeks ago, the MAG Virtual Meeting, that it was not clear yet and that for that specific main session, no one reported on the progress that was made.
For -- for the Dynamic Coalition session, we had suggested in the template as a draft title "Dynamic Coalitions Joint Efforts to Achieve the SDGs," so as said before, to make it clear that all the Dynamic Coalitions are working in their area, but still it's -- somehow they have something to bring forward to the SDGs to achieve the SDGs. So it would be as well showing what is already achieved in regard of the SDGs as showing what shall be done in the future or what is necessary to be done in the future, and I -- personally, I would say we can have that look-back to what was done already and then have a discussion also with the participants in the main session what they do think needs to be done by Dynamic Coalitions in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. So I do think that could be a good structure, first looking back and then looking into the future.
If it's possible, I do think it's -- we have already -- Anja wanted to put it on the website. Could it probably be put on the screen now for this meeting, the draft template that was already prepared for the Dynamic Coalition main session? Do you have it, Eleonora?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Jutta, hi, everyone. Can you see it?
>> MARKUS KUMMER: We can see it, indeed.
>> JUTTA CROLL: No, that's not the one that was filled in. So we had sent to Anja during our last call or directly afterwards the filled-in Word document.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Oh, I see. Okay. I -- I do not have that, unfortunately.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: This is -- well, we haven't discussed it yet, but this is a web form electronic version of the template.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: I don't know if, Markus, you want to say a few words about that.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yeah, I mean, essentially, the Secretariat tries to make all the input forms available as a web-based form, and that's translating the form that you had sent out, Jutta, as a web form, which is now available on the IGF website, but I think the link has not been sent out to the DC list.
>> JUTTA CROLL: No, I don't think so. We had sent out to the DCs the Word document to be filled in, and this Word document consists of two pages, and Page 1 is, more or less, the main session template that needs to be filled in by all main sessions, so -- and there we already have content in there, which is suggestion for the title and a brief description, and then the moderator was named, speakers were named, representatives of Dynamic Coalitions, and then the last three questions are planned for in-room participant engagement, remote moderator, we had put in your name, Markus, and then desired results and output, that is also to be refined, so it's not that we start from scratch, we already have filled in some information. We have a description, and we just need Dynamic Coalitions to respond to that and tell us whether they want to change it or whether we can go along with that.
(Phone ringing)
Sorry.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yeah, there was a phone ringing in the background. I think there seems to be a slight misunderstanding between what Jutta's attempt and what the web-based form is, but I'm sure that can be combined. My suggestion would be to take this offline and that the Secretariat tries to work with Jutta to make sure that we're on the same page. Would that make sense, Eleonora?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Markus. Yes, yes. I understand what Jutta is -- what Jutta is saying, and my personal apologies because I was out of the office for nearly the entire month, so I am a little bit behind on what some of these plans were, and Anja very, very kindly and generously stepped in to help, so there is some disconnect at that level too, but we will work with -- with Jutta to see this plan realized.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Well, thank you, yes. I think -- but it will be easier also then if we have a web-based document that can be made available to all Dynamic Coalitions.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Sure. I think at minimum, this web form may just make it easier to make the template submission that was originally asked for on the mailing list in a Word document, but we can tweak the web form together with Jutta.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay. I just would like to say I'm really happy with the web form. I didn't know about that. I wasn't aware it was already there. So the three Dynamic Coalitions who have already sent a Word document, that content needs, then, to be filled into the web form, I do think, and then -- but we would also need how to get it, then, when all Dynamic Coalitions have filled in. Can we take it out from the web form then or can only the Secretariat work on that? So how will we proceed?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: I -- the information, I believe -- although this is not my expertise, I believe can be easily extracted, even once all the web forms are submitted. It can -- I think the whole thing can be downloaded as a kind of Excel document or something like that, so that should not be a problem.
>> JUTTA CROLL: And second question, is there also a web form for main session descriptions right now so that what we have prepared for the Dynamic Coalition main session could be filled in there as well?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: No, there is not, but that is a very excellent idea to maybe take onboard.
(Laughter)
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay. Okay, then. Just to summarize, we still would need the 14 Dynamic Coalitions who have not yet given feedback to give feedback on the first page, which is -- of the template, which is the session description for the main session, and second page of the template is to be filled in by each Dynamic Coalition and -- so that both would be very good to have that by the 26th of August.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: That's an excellent summary of where we are, and I'm getting almost a bit worried. There has been no request for the floor. Is everybody in if violent agreement of what we are talking about, except there was the comment the 26th of August -- the holidays comment, it's still in the middle of summer holidays, but can we agree on this outline and this roadmap Jutta has outlined?
Well, if there's no objection, I think we can assume that there is agreement, however reluctant, to go forward that way.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Markus.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yes.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Sorry. Before you proceed, I see that Marianne Franklin has her hand up.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yes, Marianne, please, you're most welcome.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Can you hear me?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Yes.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Oh, hi. 26th of August is my birthday.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Nice.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Oh, wow.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: That's just my point to support Olivier's point. Can we shift the plan back two weeks? Because it's my birthday, that's not the point. It's very much in the middle of a lot of annual leave. So the plan is good, no problems there personally, can we just shift it back a couple of weeks to mid-September, same thing just move it back two weeks? That's just an idea, just to get away from people being stuck with holidays and having to work on their holidays. I think, you know, we take holidays for good reason, and I --
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Absolutely.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: I think the structure's very good, so, Jutta -- it is just three whole months before the actual meeting itself, and all we're talking about here is two weeks leeway, so mid-September, for the same things to be delivered rather than the 31st or 26th or -- 26th or 31st of August, whichever it's going to be.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: You know, I get the point, and -- but I would say this is above my pay grade. I just don't know how firm the deadlines are Eleonora referred to. Are they -- maybe Jutta can bring it up in the MAG and, look, this is not reasonable, we discussed this and people do have problems being ready by end of August. We just would like, maybe, mid-September. But there, Eleonora, can you help us out?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Markus, hi, Marianne.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Hi.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: So I will not be around to enforce these deadlines.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: There's going to be a deluge, yes.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: You know, for being completely, completely, completely frank, this will depend also a little bit on -- you know, there's a relative element here. This will depend on the amount of progress also the other MAG main session groups have made. There may be -- you know, there may be people in the other groups that because of, again, the holidays in August, say, well, you know, it's not -- it's just not realistic for us to have these main session descriptions finalized by the first week of September, you know, but I really cannot say for sure whether or not that will happen. I -- my sense was that in the last MAG meeting, some progress had been made on the main sessions, but as, you know, Jutta mentioned, there was one report from one main session missing. So I don't know. It -- I think probably the progress among the main session groups will be a little bit uneven, but from my perspective, I think it's always good to aim for an earlier deadline, and whether or not that ends up being respected is another story, but, you know, it may very well be that, you know, toward the end of the month, then, we all get, you know, a two-week extension, but I still think it's better to aim for that --
>> JUTTA CROLL: If I might step in here.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: -- that end-of-month -- that end-of-month deadline.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Eleonora, if I may add something, I really agree with you.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Sure.
>> JUTTA CROLL: It's always better to set the deadline a little bit firmer than being relaxed about deadlines, and to be honest, we had already set a deadline, which was 26th of July, to send in these five small answers to five small questions. It's not such a big task. And the whole work starts when we have gathered this information, so I'm -- I'm really a little bit reluctant to extend the deadline to maybe 15th of September and then still ending up with getting not all answers and only a few information. We need that information to structure the session, and then we will get back to Dynamic Coalitions to ask for more. So it's -- I -- maybe representatives of Dynamic Coalitions have not yet had a look at the template, have not yet seen that it's such a small effort to fill in these five questions, but I'm really a bit reluctant to extend the deadline later than the 26th of August for this first step. It's only the first step to achieving a good main session and keeping the deadline that was set by the MAG and the Secretariat, having information on main sessions out at the beginning of September. It's about advertisement for all main sessions, so the later we bring out information, the later people will see, okay, it might be interesting to go to that session, so I understand that it's holiday season, but I -- I can't imagine that people are six to eight weeks on holidays and haven't the time to fill in the five questions. My --
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: If I could step in here --
>> JUTTA CROLL: Of course.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: -- Markus, Jutta.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Yes, please.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: I take Jutta's point, people are on holidays for six to eight weeks, but the holidays are staggered. Some people are already on holiday, some will be on holiday, and the deadlines need to be proportionate and reasonable. Three months before is a long time ahead. I'm not taking this personally, I'm just noting that perhaps just two weeks' leeway allows people to gather, consult, do the emailing, for what is, in fact, voluntary work. It may be a small task on its own, but it may be, together with everybody else's responsibilities and their holidays, more than just a small task. Whilst I get the argument, Jutta, it's not the only thing that all these DC -- that we're all doing, so I'm just trying to think pragmatically rather than wanting to push out a deadline endlessly. I also have to work to deadlines, it's also part of my job. But, so, you know, anxieties around how much before, what's too late, what's too early, let's try to come up with a pragmatic solution. I was just suggesting this as one way to ensure the content gets delivered that's reasonable and acceptable for all parties at a time of year when not everybody's actually here. That's all. I don't have any particular agenda here, it was just a thought.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: We understand that, Marianne. I mean, it's -- and you guys, you know, you're all busy, and it's volunteer work, as you pointed out, but, again, it's not the DCs. They can totally set their deadline for their main session. It has to be part of the overall process, and as a MAG member representing the DCs in the MAG has said, it may be difficult to come up with a main session description by the deadline, but at the same time -- and that argument was supported in the chat by Nigel, that, you know, people will look at the website and see where is the state of preparation, should I go to this or that session, so it's also in the interest of everybody to have their information out as early as possible, and, you know, while it is an aspirational deadline, we can also treat it as a provisional deadline. We can still change the content and, you know, make sure that we really are where we want to be by mid-September but we fill in some content within the deadline agreed on by the MAG to respect the deadline and also the wishes of the MAG to provide as much -- and, obviously, also the German hosts -- as much information as possible well in advance, but changes can always be made as we move on, and there will be -- after receiving the first response on the template, then the real work will begin to putting together the session and to structure the session, but then changes can be made as we move on. And I think if we have the -- this in mind that, okay, you know, the first version will not be the final version, I think, then, everybody should be comfortable with this.
I noticed that there were no objections to the overall approach and the structuring of the approach, as Jutta suggested, so it was just more a question of deadline, and your point, Marianne, is well taken, that it may be difficult, but if we're all somewhat flexible in how we approach this -- but we do need to have some first input by a certain date, and there can be a placeholder input, but if Dynamic Coalitions are not able or willing to provide some input by 26th of August, then I think we should be in agreement that they will not be part of the main session.
Does this summing up somehow meet an overall understanding? Would you be okay with that, Jutta?
>> JUTTA CROLL: From my side, it -- I would be okay with that. If it's possible for the Dynamic Coalitions to answer the five questions, that is not a question who is the speaker, but that is, of course, a decision that needs to be taken in consensus by the Dynamic Coalition which SDG that they are naming, that they address this SDG, and this might be more difficult to some Dynamic Coalitions and a bit easier for other Dynamic Coalitions, depending on the themes and issues they're working on, but still, I do think that's nothing that can only be answered after having a big debate, so if Dynamic Coalitions just send out an email asking their own members whether they agree to this -- to name this or that or that SDG, then I still do think that could also be done during the holiday season. And if it needs to be changed, okay, but then at least we would stick to Eleonora's and the Secretariat's deadline to provide some information on the 1st of September.
I completely, Marianne, agree with you, people need their holidays, but still, on the other hand, we have said there are so many people out there who think Dynamic Coalitions convene once a year at the IGF and do nothing else, so now we try with this session also to show people that Dynamic Coalitions are working throughout the year, that it's intersessional work Dynamic Coalitions are doing, so I do think that needs also a bit of commitment that some work would be done within the next four weeks.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Thank you for that. Can we sort of conclude on that as the way forward that we would ask for responses by 26th August, but we will treat all this with flexibility?
>> JUTTA CROLL: Yeah, that's fine.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: And can you live with that, Marianne, as you were the most outspoken call for flexibility?
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Oh, yeah. No, look, that's fine. We can make the 26th deadline, 26th of August deadline, I was just trying to sort of mitigate the anxiety.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Okay.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Okay. Good.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: That's good, and it will be birthday. Then you can treat it as a special birthday gift.
With that, I think we have dealt with our main agenda item, that is the main session, and the second agenda item -- oh, and there's a question in the chat. Yeah, I think that sounds a reasonable question. The -- the web form by 26th of August and submit a longer write-up in the first week of September. To me, that will be a reasonable interpretation of the flexibility we discussed. Would that also meet your approval, Jutta?
>> JUTTA CROLL: I do think it -- the longer write-up could still get a later deadline. That must not be written up in the first week of September. It would be fine, the earlier we get that, the better, but for that, I do think we can give them a little bit more time because what they write up then is mostly for the moderator, it's not --
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Right.
>> JUTTA CROLL: -- to the published on the website, so we can give an extended deadline for the write-up and stick with a shorter deadline for the short questionnaire.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Shall we say mid-September then for the longer write-up?
>> JUTTA CROLL: Yes.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: I would not -- I would also suggest posting this on the website, making it public. I think it would also help making the session more attractive and making people look at the content. Would mid-September be okay?
>> JUTTA CROLL: For me it would be fine.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: All right. Let's go with this notion, the deadline is 26th of August for the web form, and mid-September or the 15th of September for the longer write-up, and we would then post it all on the website. And Sivas' question, yes, post the link to the web form. Eleonora, can you just send it to the list after the call, then we have dealt with all that.
And then we can go to the other DC activities. We already mentioned, you all have your main session, and you will have noticed -- oh, there's the link, yes, from the Secretariat. And you will have noticed there's no DC coordination session in the overall schedule, but I talked to this -- I talked to the Secretariat. It was simply not possible to carve out a main session where the DCs could have their coordination, but -- because there was also an overlap of DC sessions, but as we did in the past two IGFs, we held the DC coordination session either before the sessions began or in Paris it was a lunchtime session, and we could also have a DC coordination session when we take stock how it all went, and I think that has proved very beneficial to all of us. We could do that during the lunch break of the last day. That would be -- I think all DC sessions would be over by then, and we would have held our DC main session. So if there is agreement with that, then we would -- could ask the Secretariat to reserve us a room during the lunch break of the last day.
Are there other issues to DC Engagement in the annual meeting we need to discuss, Eleonora, Jutta?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: So this is actually something that still really needs to take shape, but we expect that the traditional newcomers tracks that have been in the IGF schedule in the past with sessions staggered throughout the schedule, throughout the four days of the meeting, that is, will actually be consolidated into one main session, and for those who've taken a look at the Draft Schedule, that's a main session a little bit earlier in the morning than they usually are on the first day of the meeting. It's called the IGF for Beginners Main Session. I think -- well, the content, really, is yet to be determined, but we can expect that there will be, you know, some explanation of the various components of the IGF, including DCs, so just looking ahead, it would be great if maybe anyone in the DCs community who would be maybe interested in speaking in that session, talking about their -- you know, their perspective as a DC coordinator or DC member or giving a little presentation, that kind of thing -- this is -- this is one main session that there could be some -- or should, in any case, be some DC engagement in. We don't know what form that will take yet, but I'm just mentioning this to sort of -- to put it on DCs' radars, so as soon as we have more information on what that session will look like, we'll share it, and we may very well be looking for some volunteers.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Thank you for that. Yes, definitely, I think the DCs should be part of that, and looking -- I'm still getting -- trying to get familiar with Zoom, but I just realized that -- is that a hand up, Sivas in the chat or in the list of participants?
>> SIVASUBRAMANIAN MUTHUSAMY: Yes, I just wanted to ask you something.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Please go ahead.
>> SIVASUBRAMANIAN MUTHUSAMY: DC on core values and the DC on IoT, we both had a conversation during ICANN, and they were thinking about the possibility of having a back-to-back session the preliminary schedule has been drawn up by IGF, but the sessions allotted to us are on different times. I had sent the mail to IGF to ask if there is a possibility that the schedule could be reassigned as back-to-back sessions, and could you take a look at this request?
I mean, depending on the time available, if you have a -- we both have been assigned 90 minutes each, and so what I have requested is about the possibility of 180 minutes together, preferably on one morning in the same room. So could you take -- take a look at that request? If you want, I can send that request again.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Hi, Sivas, it's Eleonora. Yes, we can further discuss this by email, and I'll also give you some information about where to send specific session requests, but we can take it under consideration.
>> SIVASUBRAMANIAN MUTHUSAMY: Thank you, Eleonora.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: So I take it the -- that there may still be changes to the schedule, it's not final, final, as there are some ironing out to do on some details.
Okay. Is there anything else we need to discuss about the DC Engagement in the IGF?
>> JUTTA CROLL: Eleonora, may I have a question to you again?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Of course.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Are we still considering to have a booth in the IGF Village or was that rejected? I'm not sure about that.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: So in the last call, what -- what I recorded -- and it's also in our -- in our minutes or what I took away from it was that there was not very much support for a booth. I think one DC, which has made a success of their own booth in the past, supported the idea, but it did not seem like there was a lot of demand from the other DCs to have a joint booth this year, but I -- I am very open to being corrected here by anyone else on the call.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: No, I think you're your summing up was correct. There was very -- your summing up was correct, there was very little enthusiasm, and I think past experience has shown that it's rather difficult to make sure there are people willing, actually, to be at the booth and without anybody sitting there, it's not worthwhile, but that was also my understanding.
>> JUTTA CROLL: That's also what I remember. I just wanted to put the question again on the table whether there are any DCs who really want to have that booth.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: I don't think that was the case, and I don't hear anything on this call.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Okay. Good. (Off microphone) Minda spoke on behalf of the IGF the last meeting, and she asked if we could have a booth, but now obviously, it doesn't seem (Off microphone). Thanks.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Did you catch that, Jutta and Markus? That was Marianne, but she was faint.
>> JUTTA CROLL: No.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Sorry, can you hear me?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Sorry, Marianne. I got the gist of what you were saying, but I'm not sure anybody else did.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: Minda brought this up the last meeting if we could have a booth. (Off microphone) we would appreciate having one, and we would be happy to work with other DCs who want to pop in. We think the booths really are useful.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Well, what is the process, actually, Eleonora? Isn't that -- hasn't that ship sailed?
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Yes, it has. My colleague, Anja is actually in charge of booths. The last I saw, there was a kind of waiting list, so Anja does talk one-on-one for some people who are still looking for a booth and, you know, if by any chance somebody cancels -- and this can happen, unfortunately, at the very last minute, which is not practical, but the booth can be, you know, reallocated to someone else who wants one, but I do think that Marianne or Minda or both are already in touch with Anja, so they know what the process is a little bit for individual booth holders.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Okay. Thanks. Well, I think that may well be the better way, then, if individual Dynamic Coalitions ask for a booth and then they can on a friendly basis also work with others to see instead of a collective demand.
I mean, what did not work well was the collective demand of DCs, but then also because there was nobody in charge, but if you have one Dynamic Coalition willing to put an effort into it and then also willing to maybe share it with others, that could be a way to make it work.
Well, we've reached the top of the hour. I think we had a good call. Is there anything under any other business that needs to be mentioned? Maybe, Jutta, you have particular information from the German organizers and --
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: If you don't have anything, Markus, at the moment, just one other item of business if I may.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Please.
>> MARIANNE FRANKLIN: I know it was announced last meeting, I wasn't there, but I'd like to be on the (Off microphone) Internet rights coalition, and I'm sure I speak for others, we just want to wish -- and it's already on the chat. I want to wish Eleonora for all of the (Off microphone) for her sabbatical education, and thank you for the calmness, flexibility, gentleness, wonderfulness in your time as Secretariat. I really think it helped the DCs raise the game and (Off microphone). I'm surely going to miss you. I'm sure we're all going to miss you. Thank you so much, and all the best for the future, and see you again soon.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Marianne, thank you. That was really, really, really far too kind, and I couldn't have asked for nicer -- for nicer words to be sent off on. Just a final word, this is a temporary leave, and I will still be available to all of you by email. Please keep in touch. I will still have my UN email, as far as I know, so don't be strangers, and -- and, yeah, you may be surprised by me popping in here and there once in a while over the course of the next couple of years, and it was obviously wonderful working for all of you.
>> We would welcome that. We would welcome that.
(Applause)
>> MARKUS KUMMER: As the saying goes, "I'll be back."
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Exactly.
>> (Off microphone).
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Well, with that, there's nothing else from me. Anything else from you, Jutta?
>> JUTTA CROLL: No, nothing to add from my side. Thank you.
>> MARKUS KUMMER: Okay. Thank you all for a good call and thank you Eleonora, and we wish you all the best. Thanks. Bye.
>> ELEONORA MAZZUCCHI: Thank you very much. Bye, everyone.
>> JUTTA CROLL: Bye-bye, everyone, bye-bye, Eleonora.
>> Thanks, Jutta. Thanks, Markus.