Petition from Civil Society Organizations
in Support of Human Rights in China (HRIC) Accreditation to WSIS

February 18, 2005

The civil society organizations present in Geneva for PrepCom2 of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) have learnt that Human Rights in China (HRIC) was not on the list of NGOs recommended for accreditation, due to concerns expressed by the Mission of the People's Republic of China. This is the second time HRIC has not been put forward for WSIS accreditation.

HRIC is an international monitoring and advocacy non-governmental organization based in New York and Hong Kong. Founded in March 1989 by Chinese scientists and scholars, it conducts research, education and outreach programs to promote universally recognized human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People's Republic of China.

A member of the WSIS civil society human rights caucus, HRIC has 15-year record of working constructively in areas relevant to WSIS. HRIC is an active and constructive contributor to multilateral and bilateral processes, including the WTO, the Berne Process, and the EU-China Dialogue Human Rights Seminars. HRIC has been present in the WSIS process, since its first phase and including in this PrepCom2, as an affiliate NGO of the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH). Its participation and contributions have been highly appreciated by governments and civil society.

The undersigned civil society organizations consider that the exclusion of an independent and critical voice such as HRIC raises serious concerns about the inclusiveness, the transparency and the legitimacy of the WSIS process.

As HRIC is again applying for accreditation to PrepCom3 of WSIS second phase, the undersigned civil society organizations express their support to HRIC and call to ensure that the future review of HRIC and any NGO accreditation application be fairly conducted and not be subject to a politicized intervention.

Petition proposed for signatures by the WSIS civil society Human Rights Caucus. For more information, see:
- HRIC: www.hrichina.org
- FIDH: www.fidh.org
- HR Caucus: www.iris.sgdg.org/actions/smsi/hr-wsis

Please send signatures to HR caucus coordinators, Rikke Frank Jorgensen (DIHR, Denmark) and Meryem Marzouki (IRIS, France) to the following mail address: Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org

List of first organizations endorsing this statement:

1. Ambedkar Centre for Justice and Peace, India - www.ambedkar.org
2. Article 19, International - www.article19.org
3. Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong - www.ahrchk.net
4. Asociación de las Naciones Unidas en Venezuela (ANUV), Venezuela - www.anuv.org
5. Association des archivistes suisses (AAS), Switzerland
6. Association for Progressive Communications (APC), International - www.apc.org
7. Associazione per la libertà nella comunicazione elettronica interattiva (ALCEI), Italy - www.alcei.it
8. Biens publics à l'échelle mondiale (BPEM), France - www.bpem.org
9. Bits of Freedom (BoF), The Netherlands - www.bof.nl
10. Bulgarian Institute for Legal Development (BILD), Bulgaria - www.bild.net
11. Carrefour mondial de l'internet citoyen (CMIC), Canada - www.globalcn.org
12. Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), USA - www.cdt.org
13. Centre africain d'échange culturel (CAFEC), Democratic Republic of Congo - wsisdrc.gn.apc.org
14. Comedia (the Swiss media union), Switzerland, www.comedia.ch
15. Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS), USA - www.libertynet.org/ccs
16. Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), International - www.cpsr.org
17. Digital Rights Denmark, Denmark - www.digitalrights.dk
18. Effet Femme, Ivory Coast
19. Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), USA - www.epic.org
20. Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH), International - www.fidh.org
21. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft e.V. (FITUG), Germany - www.fitug.de
22. Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V. (FIfF), Germany - www.fiff.de
23. Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), Philippines - www.fma.ph
24. Free Press, USA - www.freepress.net
25. Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, Hong Kong - www.hkctu.org.hk
26. Humanist Institute for Development Co-operation (HIVOS), The Netherlands - www.hivos.nl
27. Human Rights First, USA - www.humanrightsfirst.org
28. Human Rights Watch (HRW), International - www.hrw.org
29. Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire (IRIS), France - www.iris.sgdg.org
30. Impressum, Fédération suisse des journalistes (FSJ), Switzerland - www.journalistes.ch
31. InfoSud (Agence de presse), Switzerland - www.infosud.org
32. International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), International - www.ictj.org
33. International PEN, International - www.internationalpen.org.uk
34. Internet and Public Policy Project (IP3), Georgia Institute of Technology, USA - www.ip3.gatech.edu
35. IP Justice, International - www.ipjustice.org
36. Japan Computer Access for Empowerment (JCAFE), Japan - www.jcafe.net
37. Jonction, Senegal - www.espacemetis.org/organizations/51
38. Ligue tunisienne des droits de l'homme (LTDH), Tunisia - www.ltdh.org
39. National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USA - www.ned.org
40. Netzwerk Neue Medien, Germany - www.nnm-ev.de
41. Observatoire des Usages de l'Internet (OUI), France - oui.net
42. Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), International - www.omct.org
43. Pain pour le Prochain (Bread for All), Switzerland - www.ppp.ch
44. Privacy International (PI), International - www.privacyinternational.org
45. Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), International - www.rsf.org
46. Solidarity of Communication Students (SCSTW), TaiWan - twmedia.org/scstw
47. Swiss Coalition of Development Organisations, Switzerland - www.swisscoalition.ch
48. Veille Européenne et Citoyenne sur les Autoroutes de l'information et le Multimédia (Vecam), France - www.vecam.org
49. Verité-Action, Switzerland - www.verite-action.org
50. VIBE!AT, Austria - www.vibe.at
51. World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), International - www.amarc.org
52. World Catholic Association for Comunication (SIGNIS), International - www.signis.net
53. World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC), International - www.wpfc.org