Re: [hr-wsis] Civil Society doc 1 - contribution to declaration

["Rikke Frank Jørgensen" <rfj@humanrights.dk>]

Comments: (very fast)

The vision should depart in MDG and HR - this is the outset, as I see it.

"The right to communicate" - are we promoting a new right, or should we 
rather depart in, and further specify, the meaning of already existing rights 
within an ICT context? 

I dont see the right to privacy mentioned explicitely, this is crucial 
regarding the strong security agenda, which some contries are pursuing. 

There seems to be a bit of overlapping between the various sections. We 
should be careful not to be overly broad, but as concrete as possible.

Best 
Rikke

 



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

> Hi all,
> 
> I received two draft documents from the civil society content and themes 
> group. Here is the first one, the second one is sent to you in a 
> companion message.
> Could you please try to send ASAP (i.e. today) precise 
> comments/modification on these documents, so that we can compile them 
> and provide the group with the human rights caucus comments.
> Meryem
> 
> World Summit on the Information Society
> PrepCom-2 - Geneva, February 2003
> 
> 25 February 2003  16:00
> 
> WSIS- Civil Society Working Group on Content and Themes -- Drafting 
> Committee
> 
> Contribution on Common Vision and Key Principles for the Declaration
> 
> DECLARATION
> 
> A. Preamble
> 
> Recognizing the efforts of governments for developing the Compilation of 
> the Outcomes of the Regional Conferences (Document 
> WSIS/PC-2/DT/1(Rev.1)-E), the Civil Society Working Group on Content and 
> Themes contributes this document.
> 
> This document includes input from over twenty thematic caucuses.
> 
> B. Comments on Common Vision
> 
> Visions:
> We particularly welcome and underline the following references in the 
> compilation document and recommend their inclusion in the declaration:
> 
> • “Freedom of opinion and expression” fundamental to the information 
> society (as embodied in article 19 of the UDHR); “the right to 
> communicate and the right to access information”
> • “Knowledge and information constitute fundamental sources of 
> well-being and progress”
> • Recognition that the digital divide “reflects and is a factor in the 
> differences that exist between and within countries”
> • Development of an information society based on “respect for human 
> rights…, democracy, environmental protection, the advancement of peace, 
> the right to development, fundamental freedoms, economic progress and 
> social equity”.
> • Pursuing the Millennium Declaration goals: “reducing poverty and 
> unemployment, raising levels of education, improving health services, 
> enhancing empowerment and minimising loss of environmental resources”; 
> also the aim to pursue “goals of promoting sustainable economic and 
> social development, improve quality of life for all, alleviate hunger 
> and facilitate participatory decision-making processes”.
> • Serving “the needs of developing countries” and their “opportunity to 
> harness ICTs for shaping their future without the risk of losing 
> cultural identity.”
> • “The process of transformation into an information society should be 
> sustainable and equitable.”
> • The “need for a people-centred approach”
> • Harnessing “the knowledge and experience of citizens” as the “driving 
> force behind the Information Society”
> • The “genuine participation of all stakeholders”
> • “Women's equal access to information and knowledge as well as equal 
> opportunities as participants and decision-makers in (…) shaping ICT 
> policies and frameworks”
> 
>   In addition we propose to include the following ideas:
> 
>   We envision inclusive information and communication societies founded 
> on human dignity, human rights and intercultural dialogue for the 
> advancement of world peace, in an environment free from violence and 
> hatred.
> 
>   The right to communicate should be a fundamental right in the 
> information society. It includes and extends freedom of opinion and 
> expression, with no obstacles to free speech and press freedom. It is 
> based on the right to create, innovate, research and impart information 
> and knowledge freely.
> 
>   Societies where every citizen has the opportunity not only to access 
> information but also to produce it and exercise their creativity.
> 
>   Societies that mobilise global solidarity to overcome social and 
> geographic inequities and contribute to a more equitable distribution of 
> technological and information resources.
> 
>   Knowledge and creativity are at the heart of the information society.  
> The diversity and plurality of knowledge plays a crucial role.
> 
>   Knowledge is the heritage of all humanity. It is an unlimited resource, 
> that grows and is enriched as it is shared.  Extending and protecting 
> the information in the public domain (global information commons) is a 
> major way of bridging the digital and information divide within and 
> between countries and ensuring conditions for intellectual creativity, 
> technological innovation and participation in the information society.
>   The personal and public domain knowledge shall be shared between people.
> 
>   In a democratic society, Information and communications are the 
> foundation for transparency, debate and decision-making and for informed 
> choice of an active citizenry.
> 
> 
>   C. Comments Key Principles
> 
>   General Principles:
>   We welcome and underline the following issues in the compilation 
> document and recommend their inclusion in the declaration:
> 
> • Communication as “the basis of individual and societal existence”, and 
> its contribution to securing “the fair, balanced and harmonious 
> development of all people of the world”, particularly “the most 
> disadvantaged”.
> • Addressing “the interests of all nations, most particularly the 
> interests of developing countries”, as well as the “special 
> circumstances of regional, small island developing states”.
> • Centrality of “social and economic progress of countries and the 
> well-being of persons and communities’ well being; use and benefit of 
> ICTs in order to satisfy needs of individuals, communities and society.
> • “Pooling global and regional available resources” to “extend the 
> benefits of ICTs to all inhabitants of the world”.
> • Attention to overcoming “unequal power relations” and “the use of ICTs 
> for  empowerment of women”.
> • “Averting new forms of exclusion and reducing disparities between 
> developed and developing countries.”
> • “Ensuring equal opportunities for access to information and 
> communication technologies.”
> • “Invoking use of ICTs as a tool for environmental preservation and 
> sustainability, (and…) disaster mitigation and prevention.”
> • Promoting “appropriate and affordable technologies.”
> 
>   In addition we propose to include the following principles:
> 
> Any action relating to development of information and communication 
> societies should be based on human rights and sustainable human 
> development, with reference to the human rights framework. This 
> framework is 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 principles of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, and 
> especially those articulated in its sections I and V -- "Values and 
> Principles" and "Human rights, democracy and good governance," 
> respectively -- constitute the framework for evaluating these 
> developments. The final Declaration and plan of action of WSIS should 
> include a direct reference to the UN Human Rights framework, as proposed 
> above.
> 
>   The final declaration of the WSIS should explicitly express the strong 
> connection between free exchange of knowledge and preservation of peace.
> 
>   Knowledge and education are critical enabling agents in building 
> information societies in which all citizens can participate on an equal 
> footing.  Collective cleverness and innovation based on cooperative work 
> should be promoted.
> 
>   Research and academic freedom are keystones of the information society. 
> Academic and public research results should be as far as possible 
> included in the public domain. The public domain plays a crucial role in 
> the creation, evaluation and dissemination of knowledge.
> 
>   ICTs, communication and knowledge can play a major part in solutions to 
> the major global problems articulated in the UN Millennium Declaration.
> 
>   Effective and equal participation of both women and men in the 
> information society needs to be assured if countries are to achieve 
> their development goals and priorities.
> 
>   Technologies should be at the service of people and their needs.  
> Shaping the future cannot be left solely to market forces.
> 
>   Recognising cultural development as an alive and evolving process, 
> linguistic diversity and cultural identity need to be not only preserved 
> but also actively fostered. ICTs may provide a means of sustaining 
> languages and cultures. Particular attention should be given to 
> indigenous peoples’ needs and contributions.
> 
>   Media, whether based on digital and traditional technologies, is 
> central to any conception of an information society. Policies must be 
> adopted to guarantee the existence of free, independent, plural and 
> diverse media, including community-owned and managed media.
> 
>   Radio, as the most widespread electronic communications device in the 
> world, is an effective means of reaching the world's poorest 
> communities. Community broadcasting is increasingly recognised as a 
> bridge across the digital divide between those who have access to the 
> world's information resources and those who do not.
> 
>   A global debate must be fostered on the future of the information 
> society, and in particular on the role of ICTs in social and community 
> development.  An environment should be created that supports social and 
> community appropriation of technology to meet particular needs.
> 
>   The global commons, developed as it is by means of public funding and 
> the will of creators, and deriving from our shared physical environment, 
> constitutes a public resource that should not be sold for private profit.
> 
>   The concept of fair use should be protected to maximise the potential 
> of creativity in the public sphere. Non commercial use of digital 
> contents should be regarded as fair use and thus protected. Authors 
> should be enabled to donate their intellectual contents to the public 
> domain without technological or financial obstacles.
> 
>   Promote policies to build the infrastructure of the information society 
> in developing countries through responsible re-investment of 
> telecommunications profits made in those countries, whether from the 
> private or public sector.
> 
>   Recognising young people as leading creators, adapters and adopters of 
> ICTs, with a crucial role to play as agents of change, multi-stakeholder 
> and intergenerational partnerships should be encouraged.
> 
> While harnessing the use of ICTs as a tool for environmental 
> preservation and sustainability, there is a need to pay attention to: 
> the energy consumption of ICTs,
> the potential of ICTs to help dematerialize our economic activities, 
> ecodesign and longer life cycles of electronic equipment, recycling and 
> the trade in e-waste, and improved coherence of Multilateral 
> Environmental Agreements (MEA) such as the Basel Convention on Toxic 
> Waste (including electronic waste) with the WTO.
> 
> There must be democratic and transparent Internet Governance, including 
> globally shared responsibility Root-Server management. [PPP, Public 
> Private Partnership Model]
> 
> Each country should have the right to make their own rights and 
> policies, including intellectual property laws for developing its own 
> knowledge base and culture without any oppression from other countries.
> 
>   Priority should be given to community-driven communication initiatives, 
> developed in response to local needs and under community control.
> 
> Global intellectual rights regimes should be reviewed to restore the 
> balance between common interest of sharing knowledge and culture on the 
> one hand and ensure continuing expansion of creation on the other. They 
> should also protect the access to past knowledge, in any new format and 
> media, as part of the global heritage of humanity.
> 
> Current concerns felt by many governments in the area of 'information 
> security' is resulting in the formulation of policies and regulation (in 
> areas such as data retention, data sharing, monitoring, surveillance, 
> interception, filtering, blocking) which run the serious risk of 
> infringing people's right to communicate freely using information and 
> communication technologies and services. It also contributes to an 
> insecure atmosphere which is incompatible with peace seeking
> 
> 
> --
> Putting the "Human Rights in the Information Society" issue on the WSIS 
Agenda
> Working list of NGOs
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> 
> 



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