Post in CAHDE Draft Recommendations for Comment (from Ad hoc Committee on E-Democracy of the Council of Europe)

Oct 17 13:26 UTC

I've been encouraged to shared the draft Ad hoc Committee on E-Democracy of the
Council of Europe (CAHDE) recommendations for your comment.

In addition to any comment you might share on the European Democracy Online
Exchange ( http://dowire.org/europe ), you may direct private comments to
Thomas
Buchsbaum the chair of the committee: <email obscured>

Placed on the web with this post is a set of slides sharing a high-level
overview (text also below) and the draft document being deliberated at this
hour
by representatives of members states, parliamentarians, NGOs, and academic
experts in Madrid.

See the very bottom of this message for links to the files.

For further background on CAHDE, see:
http://www.bmeia.gv.at/index.php?id=70339&L=0

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org and DoWire.Org

The text from the slides.

1
ICT for participatory democracy:
CoE standard-setting on e-democracy
- track 1 workshop -
CoE Forum for the Future of Democracy 2008
'E-democracy'
Thomas M. Buchsbaum | Madrid, 16 October 2008
Austrian Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs
Madrid 16/10/08 <email obscured>

2
e-democracy
= the support and enhancement of
democracy, democratic processes and
institutions, and linked to the (re-)
engagement of citizens in democracy and
governance
 an issue of democracy
 other/more than e-government / eadministration
 e-participation is part of it

3
e-democracy ?
 NOT another kind of democracy
 NOT the latest gadget from an electronics store
 NOT something of / in cyberspace, unreal
 NOT a virtual 2nd / 3rd life
 NOT changing the democratic set-up of a
country
 NOT an issue of technology
Sofia IPAIT conference rvsd.

4
the Council of Europe
and e-democracy
 The CoE started work on developing standards
on e-democracy a few years ago already
  was and still is a forerunner amongst
intergovernmental organisations
  has become the only international institution
addressing e-democracy in its entirety, and
  is developing overview & clarification, and
standard-setting.

5
the Council of Europe:
current timelines on e-democracy
 creation and mandate of 24 May 2006 to the Ad-hoc
committee on e-democracy (CAHDE)
 public symposium on E-democracy: new opportunities for
enhancing civic participation, 23-24 April 2007, Strasbourg
 CAHDE expert workshops on e-Parliament (December 2007,
Vienna), on regulatory frameworks (London, February 2008),
and on advice to policy making on e-democracy (Vienna, 11
and 12 March 2008 - jointly with DEMO_NET)
 TODAY: the 2008 session, Forum for the Future of
Democracy, on e-democracy, 15 to 17 October 2008,
Madrid
 a draft Recommendation on e-democracy, by end-2008, for
endorsement by the Committee of Ministers

6
"a text to comment upon" / 1
A draft Recommendation consisting of:
 Recommendations to Member States  a kind of executive
summary
 tasks for the organisations secretariat
 Principles of E-Democracy  i.e. facts, leading to:
 Guidelines on E-Democracy  recommendations to
different stakeholders, including on:
 E-democracy, stakeholders, goals
 Technology
 Introduction and implementation of e-democracy
 Enablers, barriers, challenges & risks
 Rules and regulatory frameworks

7
approaches
 An INVITATION TO ANYBODY to use e-democracy
CAREFULLY;
 E-democracy is NOT A PANACEA to overcome all
democracy deficits, but represents ADDED
POSSIBILITIES;
 a BROAD, INCLUSIVE definition of e-democracy in
respect to ALL
 sectors of democracy (legislature, executive, judiciary)
 democratic institutions (public/private, formal/informal, etc.)
 levels of government (local, regional, national, inter-/supranational)
 kinds of participants
 areas of expertise involved
 levels of binding force of participation (campaigning to voting)

8
approaches / cntd.
 defining / describing the major e-terms;
 an integrated multi-stakeholder approach;
 a realistic approach (to benefits & challenges, use &
usability);
 human rights-based & social cohesion-oriented
 politicians- and media-inclusive;
 sustainability- & evaluation-oriented;
 a comprehensive view on e-Parliament;
 initial thoughts on regulation (inc. security &
standardisation): empowerment AND safeguards;
 + annexed practical guides on the introduction, on
generic examples and on the evaluation of edemocracy

9
"a text to comment upon" / 2
 is this, what states (can) expect ?
 is this, what other stakeholders can
expect ?
 is this, what stakeholders would like to
get?

10
"a text to comment upon" / 3
 is it comprehensive ?
 are there gaps ?  which ones ?
 anything superfluous ?
 anything wrong ?
 is it understandable to stakeholders?
Austrian Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs

PLEASE COMMENT.
Thank you.
http://www.wahlinfo.aussenministerium.at
E-Democracy - Council of Europe (CAHDE)
http://www.coe.int/democracy

<email obscured>
Austrian Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs