Re: [hr-wsis] Re: Fwd: (EN) WSIS - The Human Rights Caucus stres ses major advances despite attempts of blockage

["Bill McIver" <mciver@albany.edu>]

Meryem and All,

I commend Meryem and everyone who has worked to maintain the focus
of the caucus and for producing the communique.
(I think the real communique's strength is its forceful but measured
approach.)

--

While I agree with Meryem's concerns, I fear that
my request regarding Darfur might be misinterpreted in the context of her
comments.

My suggestion on Darfur was tactical.

I agree that our strategic focus cannot be to deal with the
"many, many other parts of the world where human rights are violated."

Also I would not have suggested that Darfur be in the Communique.

What I was suggesting was that the HR Caucus
lend a voice to such a major situation given the proximity to
governments (i.e. at a PrepCom).

This is normal for these types of events, even for WSIS.

*** Let us not debate this point here though. ***

Meryem makes clear that we have important work to continue.


Best,

WJM
wmciver@acm.org

====

> Hi Robert and all,
>
> The objective of this communique has been to state and assess what was
> the situation in Hammamet, mainly regarding the caucus. As you may have
> understood, the caucus has faced attempts of discredit from the
> pro-governmental Tunisian NGOs, and it was necessary to recall what the
> caucus has achieved till now, what has been its positions and actions,
> and to remind the acceptable conditions for the Tunis phase.
>
> Now regarding Darfur, Congo, and the many, many other parts of the
> world where human rights are violated, I share your concerns as well as
> those previously expressed by Bill McIver also on Darfur, but this
> caucus has to stay within its mandate, which is, roughly speaking,
> "human rights in the information society", and more specifically
> human-rights issues related to WSIS. There are many organizations,
> among them members of this caucus, which deal with human rights in
> general, but this should remain outside the scope of the caucus, which
> is, after, nothing more than a loose coalition of organizations
> gathered around WSIS-related human rights issues.
>
> Best regards,
> Meryem
>
>> Début du message réexpédié :
>>
>>> De: Robert Guerra <rguerra@privaterra.org>
>>> Date: Sam 3 juil 2004  02:01:59 Europe/Paris
>>> À: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
>>> Objet: Rép : [hr-wsis] (EN) WSIS - The Human Rights Caucus  stres
>>> ses major advances despite attempts of blockage
>>>
>>> Dear Rikke and Meryem:
>>>
>>> While i'm in agreement with most of the communique, i do have an
>>> issue that it wasn't sent out to the list - for the members of this
>>> caucus to take a look at and comment - BEFORE it went out.
>>>
>>> For me, maybe some additional point could have been added , giving a
>>> for some an item or two to come from those who where not in Tunisia.
>>>
>>> I for one, would have liked a statement on the state of human rights
>>> defenders in eastern congo - and Darfur. oh well, perhaps next time.
>>>
>>> regards
>>>
>>> Robert
>>>
>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> Please find hereafter the human rights caucus communique, presenting
>>>> its assessment of the PrepCom1 held in Hammamet June 24-26, 2004, in
>>>> preparation of WSIS Tunis phase.
>>>>
>>>> This communique will be available soon on the caucus website:
>>>> http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis
>>>>
>>>> It is as for now accessible at:
>>>> http://www.iris.sgdg.org/info-debat/comm-wsis0704.html
>>>>
>>>> The communique is available in English and French. Any translation
>>>> into other languages is welcome.
>>>>
>>>> Meryem Marzouki, caucus co-coordinator.
>>>> ==================
>>>> WSIS - The Human Rights Caucus stresses major advances despite
>>>> attempts of blockage
>>>> WSIS Civil Society Human Rights Caucus Communique - July 2, 2004
>>>>
>>>> After the conclusion of the first preparatory committee (PrepCom1)
>>>> of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society
>>>> (WSIS), which took place in Hammamet (Tunisia) from 24 to 26 June,
>>>> 2004, the Human Rights Caucus is pleased with the noteworthy
>>>> advances which the starting of the Tunis phase has finally shown,
>>>> despite unacceptable practices of a number of agent provocateurs who
>>>> attempted to disrupt the work of civil society organizations and to
>>>> discredit the Caucus and its members.
>>>>
>>>> The Caucus, which includes 50 organizations from around the world,
>>>> has been working since the first preparatory meeting of the first
>>>> phase of the Summit, in July 2002, to ensure that human rights are
>>>> not left off the WSIS agenda, neither off its process.
>>>>
>>>> Major advances which confirm that participating has been the right
>>>> choice
>>>>
>>>> The first very positive sign was the accreditation of the 3
>>>> independent Tunisian NGOs which were able to meet the administrative
>>>> requirements to attend the WSIS second phase as civil society. This
>>>> way, the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), Amnesty
>>>> International-Tunisia and the Tunisian Association of Democratic
>>>> Women (ATFD) are able to express themselves in their own names
>>>> during the process.
>>>>
>>>> Another major advance for the Caucus was the civil societye
>>>> intervention by Souhayr Belhassen, the vice-president of the LTDH
>>>> and vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights
>>>> Leagues (FIDH), in which she addressed human rights in the
>>>> information society on behalf of civil society. The Caucus wishes to
>>>> thank the president of the Tunis preparatory process, the Latvian
>>>> ambassador Janis Karklins, without whom this intervention could not
>>>> have been presented in the government plenary on Saturday June 26,
>>>> 2004. The Caucus also takes due note of the Tunisian authorities
>>>> willingness to finally let Souhayr Belhassen present her  statement.
>>>>
>>>> These important advances show that the Caucus has made the right
>>>> choice by resolutely refusing the boycott of the preparation of the
>>>> Tunis phase, as would have been the easy way out.
>>>>
>>>> A petition initiated by the Caucus and signed by approximately 50
>>>> NGOs in September 2003 has identified the commitment to allow all
>>>> civil society representatives from Tunisia and abroad to participate
>>>> freely in the work of the Summit as one of the concrete signs
>>>> expected from Tunisia in favor of the respect for human rights and
>>>> fundamental freedoms. This will be one of the conditions
>>>> subordinating the participation to the Summit itself, which is
>>>> scheduled to take place in Tunis in November 2005.
>>>>
>>>> Unacceptable attempts of blockage by agent provocateurs
>>>>
>>>> Despite these first encouraging signs, the Caucus must deplore,
>>>> together with the whole set of civil society organizations, the
>>>> attempts of obstructing the work of the NGOs gathered in the civil
>>>> society plenary session. An important number of people, presenting
>>>> themselves as "the Tunisian civil society", seriously disrupted the
>>>> process, until the announcement of ambassador Karklins decision.
>>>> Systematic practices of disinformation, attempts to discredit the
>>>> Caucus and its members, shameless room filling with people brought
>>>> on site with buses, violent verbal aggressiveness against
>>>> participants, hindrance to their simple expression by turning the
>>>> meetings into chaos, were some of the means used by these agent
>>>> provocateurs in order to forbid a representative of the LTDH from
>>>> speaking in the name of the participating civil society
>>>> organizations. By these means the agent provocateurs sought to
>>>> prevent the statement, legitimately produced by the drafting
>>>> committee mandated by the civil society plenary, according to the
>>>> generally agreed rules and procedures since the beginning of the
>>>> Geneva phase, be kept as written.
>>>>
>>>> The Caucus particularly regrets that because of this situation civil
>>>> society organizations have not been able to discuss under normal
>>>> conditions the whole set of themes, which the WSIS second phase is
>>>> dealing with, not least those related to Internet governance and to
>>>> infrastructure financing.
>>>>
>>>> The Human Rights Caucus participation has been crucial during the
>>>> first phase of WSIS, by the number and the quality of its members as
>>>> well as by the importance of its work. The Caucus organized a
>>>> meeting on June 24, 2004 in Hammamet, which was very well attended,
>>>> including the representative from the Office of the UN High
>>>> Commissioner for Human Rights. After the presentation of its
>>>> composition, its missions and its past achievements, the Caucus
>>>> encouraged new members to join, provided that they are organizations
>>>> and not individuals and that they agree to the goal of protecting
>>>> and promoting human rights standards in the WSIS process and in all
>>>> countries of the world, not least the host country of the Summit.
>>>> The Caucus will not allow a number of agent provocateurs to
>>>> intimidate it with their attempts of discredit, just as it will not
>>>> accept any takeover attempt by organizations or persons whose
>>>> practices contradicts the least minimum of human rights standards.
>>>>
>>>> On a similar note, the Caucus will, together with civil society as a
>>>> whole, take measures to ensure that such outburst of abuses are
>>>> prevented in the future. It encourages the authorities of the Summit
>>>> host country, together with all the organizers, to make sure that
>>>> the work may proceed in a calm and mutual respectful atmosphere, so
>>>> that the progress reached after the Hammamet meeting may be pursued
>>>> and acknowledged by all.
>>>>
>>>> Encouraging future progress
>>>>
>>>> As goals for future progress, the Caucus hopes that many independent
>>>> Tunisian NGOs finally receive the legal recognition they have been
>>>> deprived of up to now, in general without any explanation, while
>>>> some of them have been openly active for many years. The lack of
>>>> recognition of their legitimate right to freedom of association
>>>> prevents them from officially participating in the WSIS process.
>>>> This is for instance the case of the National Council for Freedoms
>>>> in Tunisia (CNLT), the Union for a Development Alternative (RAID,
>>>> ATTAC-Tunisia), the International Association for Supporting
>>>> Political Prisoners (AISPP), the Association for Fighting Torture in
>>>> Tunisia (ALTT), the Observatory for the Defense of Press Freedom,
>>>> Publishing and Creation (OLPEC), and many others. While WSIS claims
>>>> exemplarity in opening United Nations activities to a stronger civil
>>>> society participation, going as far as officially recognizing a
>>>> "civil society bureau", the Caucus expects from the host country
>>>> authorities that they locally translate this discourse into concrete
>>>> measures by officially recognizing the legal existence of these
>>>> groups.
>>>>
>>>> In addition, the Caucus would like to restate its concern related to
>>>> the exclusion of one of its members, Human Rights in China, the only
>>>> organization for the defense of human rights in China. Human Rights
>>>> in China has been excluded since the first phase of the Summit
>>>> without any official explanation from the organizers.
>>>>
>>>> The issue of accreditation is not the only concern of the Caucus and
>>>> of the signatories of the September 2003 petition. The freeing of
>>>> prisoners of opinion is one of the others. This PrepCom1 has been
>>>> held less than a week after the postponement of the judgment in
>>>> appeal in the case known as "the Zarzis Internet users" (les
>>>> internautes de Zarzis), where persons, less than 20-years old, have
>>>> been sentenced the very heavy penalty of 20 years jail. The evidence
>>>> held against them are mainly documents which would have been
>>>> downloaded from the Internet. If the Tunisian authorities have
>>>> tangible elements of evidence justifying that Zarzis Internet users
>>>> are charged with terrorism accusations, they should exhibit them
>>>> publicly in the framework of a fair trial. Otherwise, the Caucus,
>>>> like all international observers, would be obliged to consider, and
>>>> to widely inform in the WSIS context and beyond, that the sole
>>>> consultation of the Internet may cost 20 years jail in the host
>>>> country of the WSIS second phase.
>>>>
>>>> The Caucus will pursue its mission
>>>>
>>>> The Caucus has been created to put human rights on the WSIS agenda,
>>>> with full respect of their universality and their indivisibility.
>>>> Since there can be no democracy without fair development, the Human
>>>> Rights Caucus is fully conscious of the fundamental importance of
>>>> holding WSIS in Tunis, for the Tunisian people as well as for all
>>>> the peoples of the global South countries, and thus, wishes its
>>>> success. But since there can be no development without democracy,
>>>> the Caucus will, during the Tunis process monitor the conditions in
>>>> which this process is proceeding, and will report on obstacles to
>>>> the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the host
>>>> country. In light of the general human rights assessment made in
>>>> 2005, all the participants to the process, governments,
>>>> international organizations, private sector and civil society, will
>>>> be called for making their decision.
>>>>
>>>> Representatives of the Human Rights Caucus in Hammamet:
>>>>  - Rikke Frank Jorgensen, DIHR - Danish Institute for Human Rights
>>>> (DK) - Coordinator
>>>>  - Antoine Madelin, FIDH - Fédération internationale des Ligues des
>>>> droits de l'homme
>>>>  - Meryem Marzouki, IRIS - Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire
>>>> (FR) - Coordinator
>>>>
>>>> Press contacts:
>>>>  - Rikke Frank Jorgensen - rfj@humanrights.dk
>>>>  - Antoine Madelin - amadelin@fidh.org, + 32 2 209 62 89
>>>>  - Meryem Marzouki - Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org
>>>>
>>>> Activities and documents of the Caucus during WSIS first phase:
>>>>  http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Meryem Marzouki - http://www.iris.sgdg.org
>>>> IRIS - Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire
>>>> 294 rue de Charenton - 75012 Paris
>>>> Tel/Fax. +33(0)144749239
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Working List of the WSIS Human Rights Caucus
>>>> Web site : http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis
>>>> Public Archives: http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis/list
>>>> To post a message to the list, send an email to:
>>>> hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
>>>> To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to:
>>>> Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> ###
>>> Robert Guerra <rguerra@privaterra.org>
>>> Privaterra - <http://www.privaterra.org>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Working List of the WSIS Human Rights Caucus
>> Web site : http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis
>> Public Archives: http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis/list
>> To post a message to the list, send an email to: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
>> To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to:
>> Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org
>>
>
>
> --
> Working List of the WSIS Human Rights Caucus
> Web site : http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis
> Public Archives: http://www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis/list
> To post a message to the list, send an email to: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
> To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to: Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org
>
>


-- 
<html>
<br>
Bill McIver<br>
Assistant Professor<br>
School of Information Science and Policy<br>
University at Albany, State University of New York<br>
Albany, New York 12222<br>
USA<br><br>

e-mail: <a href="mailto:mciver@albany.edu";>mciver@albany.edu</a><br>

URL: <a href="http://www.albany.edu/~mciver";>
http://www.albany.edu/~mciver </a><br>
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