[Letter to: Ms. Judith Lichtenberg, Executive Director, Mr. Mark Stephens, Independent Chair, The Global Network Initiative]

We write with regret to inform you that the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights is withdrawing its participation in the Global Network Initiative...In our view, agreeing on terms under which the telecom companies in the ID will be admitted was premature given the range of fundamental challenges GNI is facing...GNI lacks the resources, staff capacity, governance structures and, most importantly, a shared vision to realize its potential...GNI should have the capacity to advocate for greater government adherence to global standards on free expression and privacy, while at the same time giving the public confidence that leading Internet and telecommunications companies are themselves abiding by these standards...We see the need for action in three key areas:...shared organizational vision...developing a credible and transparent system for evaluating company compliance with human rights standards...[and] building GNI’s organizational capacity...While we would have welcomed the opportunity to participate in discussion of GNI’s essential challenges... our conclusion is that there is insufficient appetite by the board and membership to address these questions [until] GNI is prepared to tackle these fundamental [issues].