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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've read all 100+ contributions to the development
of this Consensus paper. And while I've not had the opportunity to study them
within the full context of my life experiences, it does present a clear
direction and is worth pursuing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I vote yes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Lowenhaupt</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=ian.peter@ianpeter.com href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">Ian
Peter</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=governance@lists.cpsr.org
href="mailto:governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 11, 2008 5:51
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [governance] Consensus call on
rights theme - yes or no response required.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><A name=OLE_LINK2></A><A
name=OLE_LINK1><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Please respond within 48 hours
with a YESor NO to adoption of this statement so it can be sent to the
Secretariat before the deadline.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></A></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Rights and the
Internet as the over-arching theme for IGF-4 in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>
</SPAN></FONT></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR id=vn-n7></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Internet
Governance Caucus strongly recommends that 'Rights and the Internet' be made
the overarching theme for IGF-4 in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and that the IGF-4's program
be framed by the desire for developing a rights-based discourse in the area of
Internet Governance. The Caucus has already expressed support for the letter
on this subject which was sent to the MAG by the Dynamic Coalition on an
Internet Bill of Rights.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The IGC offers the IGF assistance
in helping to shape such a discourse at the IGF meetings, and specifically to
help make 'Rights and the Internet' an overarching theme for IGF-4 in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><B id=vn-n44><I id=vn-n45><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">A complex new
emerging ecology of rights and the
internet</SPAN></FONT></I></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n46 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal id=ysci
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> One
important purpose of a discourse on rights should be to clarify and reach
greater consensus on how rights with respect to the Internet are defined, how
they relate to pre-existing definitions of human rights, and which ones need
to be internationally recognized and strengthened. Within this context, we
acknowledge that, even within the civil society caucus, differences of opinion
exist as to the nature of various rights and conceptual rights and the degree
to which they should be emphasized in internet governance
discussions.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While the internet opens unprecedented
economic, social and political opportunities in many areas, many fear that it
may at the same time be further widening economic, social and political
divides. It is for this reason that development has been a central theme for
the IGF meetings to date. In this new, more global and digital context it
might be useful to explore what the term "right to development" means.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n61 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n63 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">With respect to
privacy rights, corporations and governments are increasingly able to extend
digital tentacles into people’s homes and personal devices, in manners
invisible to consumers and citizens. Consumers of digital products thus face
new challenges including the right<A id=vn-n65
name=sdfootnote3anc></A></SPAN></FONT><A
href="http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=false&revision=_latest×tamp=1220550114112&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootnote3sym"></A>
to know and completely ‘own’ the products and services they pay for.
Technological measures to monitor and control user behavior on the internet
are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and often outrun public policies and
traditional concepts of what rights users have.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=western id=eh1j0 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n69 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While property
rights are of considerable importance, their applicability and mutations in
the digital environment have led to widespread political contention over the
proper scope of copyrights, trademarks and patents. In fact, intellectual
property is emerging as a primary area of socio-economic conflict in the
information society. The IGF can explore issues surrounding the public
interest principles which underpin intellectual property claims alongside the
concept of a right to access knowledge in the digital space It can also
explore how individuals' property right to own, build, test, and use consumer
electronics, computers and other forms of equipment can be reconciled with the
regulation of technical circumvention to protect
copyrights. <BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">It may also be
useful to explore if and how other concepts may be meaningful in relation to
the Internet – for instance, a ‘right to access the Internet unconditional of
the use being made of it (similar to electricity and telephone). Similarly, a
right of cultural expression, and a right to have an Internet in ones own
language, could inform the important IGF thematic area of cultural
diversity. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Other important internet policy areas,
like network neutrality, are being framed in terms of rights, such as a right
to access and share information, or as an extension of freedom of expression
itself. The right of the public to access government-produced information
presents itself in a wholly new manner in a digital environment, where
information is often publicly sharable at little or no extra cost. Positive
acts of withholding digital public information from citizens in fact can be
looked upon as a form of censorship. All of these rights-based conceptions may
be included in the IGF openness theme area along with open standards Other
rights such as the right of association and the right to political
participation may have important new implications in the internet age,
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal id=vn-n60><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">We recognize that while it is relatively
easy to articulate and claim “rights” it is much more difficult to agree on,
implement and enforce them. We also recognize that rights claims can sometimes
conflict or compete with each other. There can also be uncertainty about the
proper application of a rights claim to a factual situation. The change in the
technical methods of communication often undermines pre-existing
understandings of how to apply legal
categories. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal id=h:sg4
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal id=h:sg6
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">These
complexities, however, only strengthen the case for using the IGF to
explicitly discuss and debate these problems. There is no other global forum
where such issues can be raised and explored in a non-binding context.
<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Internet governance has up to this time
largely been founded in technical principles and, increasingly, on the
internet’s functionality as a giant global marketplace. With the internet
becoming increasingly central to many social and political institutions,
an alternative foundation and conceptual framework for IG can be explored. It
is the view of the IG Caucus that a rights-based framework will be appropriate
for this purpose. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=jpe00 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal id=jpe02
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
id=pe-s><SPAN id=o6u06><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">A rights-based </SPAN><SPAN id=o6u07>IG shouldn’t be
seen as threatening, but rather rights provide a set of international
standards and guiding principles that can help to inform complex policy
decisions. It is pertinent to recollect that WSIS called for a people-centric
information society, and a rights framework helps develop people-centric IG
agenda and polices.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n73 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n75 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">It is the
Caucus’ view that the IGF is the forum best suited to take up this task. This
process should start at the IGF Hyderabad, where workshops on rights issues
are being planned. These issues will also hopefully figure prominently
in the main sessions. The IGC fully expects that these discussions will help
the IGF work towards developing ‘Rights and the Internet’ as the over-arching
theme of the IGF-4 in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=western id=vn-n76 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Ian
Peter</SPAN></FONT></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P>
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