RE: [WSIS-SCT] [hr-wsis] Inputs from Human Rights Caucus

[Rikke Frank Jorgensen <rfj@humanrights.dk>]

Hi all,

 

Nice to meet you all in Geneva :-) Here is a short input from a paper I am working on. Thought it might be usefull for the caucus.

 

Best

Rikke

 

***

A human rights perspective on the Information Society

Human rights are central to the development of a vision and a corresponding action plan for the information society. Information and communication technology offers new means of enhancing human rights, but also new challenges to the protection of human rights. Furthermore the international human rights norms and standards offer a framework for capturing the many aspects of the information society within a common reference point. Issues such as freedom of expression, access to information, new means and needs for education, e-government, and capacity- and knowledge building within various sectors (health, agriculture, natural environment etc) can all be addressed within the human rights framework.

The paper proposes that the WSIS vision and action plan guiding the development of the information society take its departure in the human rights standards.

 A human rights approach to the information society would imply:

 Point of departure: Taking human dignity and human needs as the starting point of reference rather than technological considerations.

 Goals and measures: Using the improvement of human rights standards such as human and social development, democrary and participation as focus points for setting goals and measures for progress, for instance:

• Human development (improved education, health, livelihood, integrity)
• Social develoment (enhanced economic opportunities, employment)
• Democracy (strenthening fredom of expression, access to information, pluralistic media,     transparancy)
• Participation (empowerment of civil society and communities)

 Guiding principles: Ensuring basic human rights principles such as equality and anti-discrimination on all levels of policy and action plans. This implies stressing access, empowerment and integrity not least for vulnerable and marginalized groups.

 Legislation: Stressing the need for national legislation to be in accordance with human rights norms, not least concerning fair trial, freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: WSIS Civil Society -- Content and Themes [mailto:WSIS-SCT@listserv.albany.edu]On Behalf Of Amali De Silva
Sent: 24. februar 2003 19:52
To: WSIS-SCT@listserv.albany.edu
Subject: Re: [WSIS-SCT] [hr-wsis] Inputs from Human Rights Caucus

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 todays
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 Age! nda
Working list of NGOs
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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