HR caucus and post-wsis actions lines

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

Hi again,

Besides the IGF, which is a very important process, we should also  
step into the implementation and follow-up of WSIS actions lines.  
These actions lines, together with the relevant UN agency to take the  
lead on their implementation, are identified in the annex of the  
"Tunis Agenda for the Information Society", available in different  
languages at: http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp? 
lang=en&id=2267|0 (go to the Annex at the end of the document).

ITU has started first discussions on action line C2 (infrastructure),  
for example, during a meeting it held recently in Doha (Qatar),  
taking the opportunity of one of its conferences (World  
Telecommunication Development Conference - WTDC). As a matter of  
fact, Anriette Esterhuysen has sent a letter to ITU Secretary General  
on behalf of APC, that she reproduced on the plenary list. APC was  
mainly raising the issue of CS participation to such meetings held in  
different parts of the world, where almost only some governements and  
ITU private sector members can attend.
I don't know if there are other consultations that have started.

My point here is to suggest that, according to the competence and  
specificities of members of our caucus, we share the work among us  
and we try to have caucus members in charge of closely following some  
issues/actions lines, and reporting to the caucus so that we can  
develop positions and hopefully participate to a large range of  
actions lines follow-up.
Typically, Ginger (from UNA Venezuela) has many times expressed her  
concerns with the e-voting issue. I know that another caucus member,  
CPSR (represented here by Bill), is also working on e-voting. This  
would be a good start to follow action line C7 (ICT applications),  
and specially e-government. We can certainly identify other members  
who would be ready to follow other actions lines.

At the global level, you may have noticed that there is no "human  
rights" action line (we have rather an "Ethical dimensions of the  
Information Society", C10... when you don't want to talk about  
rights, call them "ethics"!!!), and among the more than 15 UN  
commissions or agencies respectively in charge of their  
implementation and follow-up, one is strangely (?) missing: the  
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Righst (OHCHR)!

I really think this deserves an intervention from us, with e.g. a  
letter to the UN Secretary General and to the High Commissioner for  
Human Rights, deploring this situation and asking for HR explicitly  
appearing and highlighted.

Waiting for your comments,
Meryem