proposal for action points

Hi all,

I propose we suggest the following actions to the drafting group (taken from the “Statement on Human Rights and Human Dignity in the Information Society”, from the HR experts meeting on 3-4 November 2003 in Geneva, minor change marked in red).

I am not sure to what extent the CS paper will suggest actions, but I think these two are crucial and that we should give them full support. Any comments on this ?

Best

Rikke

Proposal for actions for Civil Society Declaration

Human Rights Caucus

November 27th, 2003

In preparation for the WSIS in Tunis in 2005, an Independent Commission on the Information Society and Human Rights, composed of highly qualified experts with a broad geographical representation, should be established to monitor practices and policies and submit recommendations to the Summit. Its mandate should include a review of national and international ICT regulations and practices and their conformity with international human rights standards, the governance of current decision-making bodies in the ICT field, and the potential applications of ICTs to the realization of the right to development and the essential human rights for sustainable human development, including the right to health, the right to adequate food and the right to education.

Furthermore, the importance of the issues of human rights of WSIS justifies the establishment, within the procedures of the Commission on Human Rights or its Sub-Commission, of a position of Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Information Society, with a mandate to monitor developments in this area, including threats to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom from surveillance, and applications of ICT to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights and to human rights education and recommend measures conducive to advancing human rights in the information society.