Conference Call Meeting 21 August 2013

Attendance

Shaazka Beyerle, Christine Clough, Gillian Dell, Saad Filali, Vincent Lazatin Lydia Medland, Ezequiel Nino

Agenda

1. Overview of advocacy activities until now (Updates from Gillian, Kristi and Lydia)
2. Next steps for advocacy
3. Key questions to consider ahead of COSP
4. Annual Report
5. Egypt and Snowden situation
6. AOB

Statements on Egypt and on Snowden

These issues were moved to the top of the agenda.

The discussion first addressed the question of a statement on Egypt. Based on the discussion the CCC members on the call decided:

• To write to the full CCC with the recommendation that the CCC advises not to issue a statement and a deadline for disagreement.
• The committee should have a common procedure to follow-up with requests on issuing statements so we don’t respond individually and possibly contradict each other.
• As always, any member can issue a statement in their own name if they wish.

Then the discussion moved to the question of a statement on Snowden.

The members present agreed that there is not enough capacity for the CCC to issue an official statement at this point.

1. Overview of advocacy activities until now (Updates from Gillian, Kristi and Lydia)

Gillian explained that the Statement was now final and would be translated into all the UN languages. She also explained that the 3 topic teams had developed simple advocacy strategies, identifying key target countries to approach ahead of the WG meetings next week. Additionally, Lydia and Kristi prepared a letter on Access to Information and Beneficial Ownership which would be circulated to the CCC for comments by Friday. That letter lays out the reasoning for the Asks in the Statement and provides some further details. Each of the team leaders also prepared a briefing note that can be used with target governments to explain the Asks.

Gillian reported on contacts she, Maud and Babatunde had already made with governments., Saad had written to CSOs in the MENA region.

There was a discussion of the allocation of countries, with a number of questions from Lydia. The group also discussed the plans for Gillian and Maud’s attendance at the Working Groups in Vienna. (Gillian for all five days; Maud for the last two days.) In particular the issue of overlaps in advocacy targets was discussed and the need to be careful not to bombard the same country with messages from multiple Coalition members.

Coalition letter

Gillian reported that the letter Lydia and Kristi prepared (after final comments from the CCC) will be sent by the Secretariat to a mailing list we have of embassies in Vienna – the problem is that you don’t know if it will get to the right person. Writing a letter generally is thus not enough; there is a need a follow-up discussion/meeting.

Coalition statement and briefing notes

The group at the meeting agreed on:

• Holding back on publishing the Statement until after the WG meetings and just giving it to select people for now; then in September launch it.
• Putting the question about publishing briefing notes to the CCC once they have seen and commented on the final versions.

Advocacy in the Americas

Gillian explained that Alejandro Salas of the TI-S Americas Department and another colleague from TI-S met with the foreign minister of Panama to discuss the COSP and some other issues. They gained the impression that the foreign minister is mainly interested in the prestige of the event. TI Panama issued a press release criticizing the fact that the government will be spending 8,5 million USD on the conference.

The committee agreed on:

• The need for an Americas advocacy strategy.

Actions at the COSP

In terms of actions at the COSP Vincent asked the group if there is a COSP specific call we can make. He suggested keeping the original and add an additional call related to the COSP in Panama which could be related to no impunity. Several members present liked the idea. It was agreed that Vincent, Maureen, Shaazka and Lydia would form a team to further discuss actions at the COSP. Others could join.

Communications work

Shaazka emphasized the importance of media work. Gillian mentioned that the Secretariat is talking to someone in the AME region about their willingness to coordinate Coalition advocacy and communications work in the Americas– with the longer term goal to find someone who could support us on the global level. TI is preparing an UNCAC progress report (examining the process and outputs to date) and it will be supporting the Coalition Asks with its findings.

The group agreed on:

• The need to start media work and sharing information about media work with the Coalition.
• Committee members to try to write blogs ahead of the COSP and the links to be sent to journalists.

2. Next steps for advocacy

1. Before WG meetings (see above)
2. Post WG meetings from September
   1. widen push and increase focus on AME
   2. prepare 1-2 more briefing notes to support other parts of the statement
3. Start media work

3. Other issues

Due to lack of time, other issues were postponed until the next meeting.

As a last point, Gillian added that a draft Coalition Annual Report has been prepared by Anne-Claire and would be circulated to the Committee for comments. This was welcomed by Committee members.