WGIG and HR

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

hi all

Below the civil society statement from this mornings session on the WGIG report (w HR emphasis), 

Rikke



My name is Jeanette Hofmann. I am the co-chair of the Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus. While the WGIG report addresses many important issues, civil society believes that there are some critical aspects that have not been given sufficient attention. I'd like to highlight some that require greater emphasis. These issues are:

1. Human Rights and Freedom of Expression
2. Privacy 
3. Universal access 

1. Human Rights

The report recognized the importance of upholding universally agreed human rights even in cases of security concerns and criminal investigations. However, it failed to address human rights as cross-cutting standards that affect all policy areas.

Further, human rights, such as the right to privacy and freedom of expression, in conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 12 and 19, must be respected in all cases. Nothing in Internet governance negotiations must impair, restrict, or contradict human rights, as they are spelled out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law. We believe that this also applies to WSIS meetings. We want to emphasize the importance of including and accrediting all Human Rights Organizations for all meetings.

2. Privacy

The recommendations of the WGIG are a great step forward in the WSIS discussions around privacy. Now, we all have to make sure that they are integrated in any documents adopted at the Tunis Summit. Privacy and data protection are too important in the Information Society to be forgotten in the struggles over the core technical resources of the Internet.

3. Universal Access

Building an inclusive and global framework to address Internet governance issues will be largely meaningless if more than half of the world's population has no access to its potential benefits.

Affordable and universal access is one of the most obvious issues that needs to be addressed as a matter of public policy. The relationship between ICTs and development requires attention in its own right.

In the absence of coordinated global governance that addresses access to critical ICT and Internet infrastructure as a public good, the important goal of achieving universal access to the Internet will not be achieved.