Re: [hr-wsis] SV: Re: HR caucus and post-wsis actions lines

Hi Ginger

Though I understand your concern not to have e-voting treated as something very specific, I think you need to start by getting the issue on the post wsis table as part of a specific action line.. And here I would def. suggest that you join the Privacy and Security WG, and get in on the privacy / sec. agenda for a start.

Best

Rikke

-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: Ginger Paque [mailto:ginger@paque.net]
Sendt: 10. marts 2006 19:13
Til: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
Emne: [hr-wsis] Re: HR caucus and post-wsis actions lines

Meryem and all,

As Meryem pointed out, I am very interested in e-voting and how it can either support or undermine all of our other rights.

Can anyone give me specific suggestions on where to go with this, how to pursue it and include it in the action lines, and how to be sure it gets incorporated in any input we present? This is particularly important because the issue was not addressed in the WSIS documents.

I am willing to work on wording, or presentations, whatever it may be, but I don't have the experience to direct my attention, particularly since it seems that this issue is viewed as very specific, so has to be incorporated properly into the protocols. I personally don't see it as such a "specific" issue because of its overarching implications for all rights, so I need help working it into a format that will really get it on the agenda.

Help, suggestions, observations, comments? Please?

Thanks. Saludos, Ginger

----- Original Message -----

From: Meryem Marzouki

To: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org

Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 6:47 AM

Subject: [hr-wsis] HR caucus and post-wsis actions lines

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

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