Fwd: [hr-wsis] Fwd: proposal for action points

[Meryem Marzouki <marzouki@ras.eu.org>]

 From Rik. Rik, now you can post message using either of these two 
addresses: @bluewin or @ngocongo. Meryem

Début du message réexpédié :

> De: Rik Panganiban <rikp@bluewin.ch>
> Date: Lun 1 déc 2003  10:14:31 Europe/Paris
> À: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
> Objet: Rép : [hr-wsis] Fwd:  proposal for action points
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> Sorry to come into this discussion quite late.  Still catching up on 
> the dozens of emails that are arriving every few minutes.
>
> I am not speaking against these proposals per se, but I wanted to make 
> a couple of cautionary remarks.  The creation of new human rights 
> mechanisms and bodies related to the Commission on Human Rights is a 
> controversial one that deserves careful consideration.
>
> The Commission on Human Rights (and the Office of the High 
> Commissioner for Human Rights) are in the midst of a serious budget 
> crisis, with the General Assembly drastically cutting the CHR budget 
> in the last 2003 session, resulting in the collapsing of meeting times 
> and reduction in translation services, among other measures.  In this 
> climate where the Commission is barely able to meet during the meeting 
> times allotted to it, the creation of new special mechanisms such as 
> special rapporteurs is met with even more criticism and questions than 
> ever before.  The CURRENT special mechanisms have difficulty finding 
> support from the Office of the High Commissioner to complete their 
> mandates.  Creating new ones, without corresponding increases in 
> budget, means that each special representative gets an  even smaller 
> piece of the decreasing budget pie.
>
> We face criticism not only from governments, both Northern and 
> Southern, for proposing the creation of new mechanisms. We also face 
> criticism from our fellow human rights advocates, who may feel that 
> creating new mechanisms may decrease support for the other mechanisms. 
>  Sad but true.
>
> Frankly it does little good to create a new special representative 
> with a very broad and vague mandate with little institutional support. 
>  This moves us backwards not forwards in the cause.
>
> One possibility we should consider is to ensure that the current 
> special representatives integrate the information society into their 
> work to be more effective.  Most relevant to this is the Special 
> Rapporteur on the Freedom of Expression.  This rapporteur should be 
> able to "virtually visit" the websites of governments and use other 
> ICT tools to ascertain if freedom of online expression is being 
> curtailed, and to take measures to report this to the Commission in 
> his or her report.  Email and other electronic communications from 
> NGOs and other independent observers should used to inform the special 
> rapporteurs of violations and included where relevant in their 
> reports.   Each special rapporteur should have websites containing key 
> information on their mandate, work, reports, and contact information.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Rik Panganiban
> Special Adviser
> WFM
>
>
>
> On Jeudi, novembre 27, 2003, at 01:07  PM, Berhane Tewolde-Medhin 
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> >From: "Frank Joergensen, Rikke"
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>> >Subject: [hr-wsis] proposal for action points
>>
>>
>> >Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 11:18:37 +0100
>>
>> >
>>
>> >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.
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>> >
>>
>
>>
> <image.tiff>
>>
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> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>  Rik Panganiban             email: rikp@bluewin.ch
>  Special Adviser            tel: +41 22 734 9774
>  World Federalist Movement  Fax: +41 22 734 9775
>  www.wfm.org                Mobile: +41 76 473 3274
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>