Re: [hr-wsis] Inputs from Human Rights Caucus

[Amali De Silva <amalidesilva@yahoo.com>]

Meryem - I support this. I also ask all of you drafting the "caucus input" to consider asking for concrete commitments - for example " 1 hour of access for all by 2010 - 1 for 2010", legal frameworks with reference to privacy & security issues (I refer to a previous e-mail of mine to the WSIS PREPCOM 1list - thoughts/concerns/suggestions") etc.

Amali De Silva, Director, Vancouver Community Network, Canada

 Meryem Marzouki <marzouki@ras.eu.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Caucuses have been asked to provide short inputs to the civil society 
> common document, currently being drafted in Geneva by the Content and 
> Themes working group. Since I have to leave tomorrow morning, here are 
> some inputs that should be included in the final document.
>
> The Human Rights Caucus has been set up during PrepCom1, in order to put 
> Human Rights on the agenda of the WSIS and to precisely translate them 
> within the specific framework of information and communication, in order 
> to build a common vision of this society.
>
> Human Rights are intended, as defined in the UNDH, the International 
> Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant 
> on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as civil and political rights 
> of citizens, as well as their economic, cultural and social rights.
>
> Although freedom of e!
> xpression and of opinion are referred to in some - 
> but not all - regional conference declarations, Human Rights as a 
> general reference framework is still missing in all the documents 
> related to the WSIS, including in the current versions of the draft 
> civil society document.
>
> Meryem
> ============
>
> Inputs from the "Human Rights in the Information Society" Caucus:
> =================================================================
>
> Human rights must be the cornerstone of all developments in information 
> and communication societies. The principles of the United Nations 
> Millennium Declaration, and especially those laid down in its sections I 
> and V ("Values and Principles" and "Human rights, democracy and good 
> governance") constitute the framework for evaluating these developments.
>
> Building information and communication societies from a rights 
> perspective implies putting human rights and human dignity of today’s 
> gl!
> obal citizens and future generations above technological 
> !
> considerations or the commercial producer-consumer relationship.
>
> The information and communication society should fully respect and 
> uphold democracy and the rule of law as well as all internationally 
> recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.
>
> Therefore, the goal of WSIS should be achieved in reference to the human 
> rights framework established by the United Nations and regional 
> protection systems, as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human 
> Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 
> Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 
> other international instruments adopted by member states.
>
> The final Declaration and plan of action should include a direct 
> reference to the UN Human Rights framework, as proposed above.
>
>
> --
> Putting the "Human Rights in the Information Society" issue on the WSIS Agenda
> Working list of NGOs
> To post a message to the list,!
>  send an email to: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
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Amali De Silva AAT(CMABC), BSc(Hons) Econ, PgDip Acc/Fin, MSc Int. Acc/Fin

Tel: 604-736-9012 & Email: amali@amalidesilva.com