The Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP), a regional UNDP Initiative to promote ICT for sustainable human development, is seeking expressions of interest from organizations in the Asia-Pacific region to take over the content management of its Internet Governance Information Service (IGIS), which provides timely information on Internet policies for
policymakers and other stakeholders in developing countries (DCs) in the Asia Pacific.

Ideally, we are looking for a public interest advocacy or academic institution with proven track record in either media or ICT policy work and the ability to analyze emerging issues in Internet governance with regard to their implications for DCs in the Asia-Pacific and to communicate the findings to our stakeholders in 35+ countries in the region.

In a nutshell, APDIP would provide seed financing, technical backstopping, hosting services for the website, as well as affiliation with APDIP/UNDP.

For more information on the IGIS and APDIP please see the attached paragraph at the end of this message.

Expressions of interest are treated confidentially, should be sent no later than August 20, 2001, by email to the editor of the information service, Mr. Dieter Zinnbauer, at d.zinnbauer@LSE.AC.UK and include the following information in no more than two pages

- your expertise/experience with regard to the policy areas covered by the information service as well as with regard to the communication and organizational capacities required to maintain and actively expand a regional information network;

- your position on Internet governance issues, your editorial independence and potential constraints on the latter in view of existing funding arrangements or the mandate of your institution

- the ideas and expectations you would bring to the implementation and future development of the information service, the resources your organization would be able to contribute in the medium and long-term, and a suggested timeframe for transitioning the service.
 

We will acknowledge receipt of all expressions of interest by email but contact only organisations we take further interested in.
 

About the Internet Governance Information Service

APDIP set up the Internet Governance Information Service in early 1999 (www.intgov.apdip.net) to supplement APDIP's (www.apdip.net) portfolio of ICT projects in the Asia-Pacific with an information service on Internet policies for policymakers and other stakeholders.

The initial spark was the creation of ICANN and the very limited participation of stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific in this crucial period of institution building.

As we collected and disseminated information on the ICANN process, well before the topic reached its current popularity in the public debate, we soon realized the importance of other issue areas, which

a) were just about to enter the various international negotiation fora;
b) have potentially dramatic implications for the ability of developing countries to maximize the benefits of the 'information revolution'; and,
c) of which policy-makers, public interest groups and  even business in DCs were barely aware as our policy seminars in the region had clearly shown.

I was commissioned to design and put together the intgov website/e-newsletter and have since then acted as editor for the information service.

The final step is now to transfer the content management and editorial functions to a suitable organisation in the Asia-Pacific.

APDIP intends to provide seed financing, hosting facilities and general technical support, as well as affiliation of the service with APDIP/UNDP (the site would be co-branded as orgx/apdip project).

The website of the information service at www.intgov.apdip.net should give a good overview of what range of topics we cover. In general we aim at strong editorial selection rather than comprehensiveness (UNESCO is already providing  a very extensive unedited news service). In terms of future expected output, the website should be supplemented by a regular e-newsletter.
Discussion lists, email alert services or similar things are also possible and would be technically supported by APDIP.

For more information about APDIP, please visit www.apdip.net.

I very much look forward to hearing from you.

With best regards,
 

Dieter Zinnbauer

Editor
Internet Governance Information Service
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
d.zinnbauer@LSE.AC.UK