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<div class="moz-forward-container"><font face="Verdana">this is the
comment I sent to the MAG (multistakeholder advisory group) of
the IGF. </font><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Subject:
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<td>Re: [igf_members] Proposal: Human Rights Roundtable</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:18:25 +0530</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>parminder <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:parminder@itforchange.net"><parminder@itforchange.net></a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:igf_members@intgovforum.org">igf_members@intgovforum.org</a></td>
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<font face="Verdana">Dear Alice/ All,<br>
<br>
Apologies for intrusion by someone who, I understand, </font><font
face="Verdana">has </font><font face="Verdana">an observer
status on this list.<br>
<br>
This initiative of a round table on human rights is very
important. Since it is not just an workshop, but a higher level
activity with some kind of a larger IGF/ MAG ownership (do I
understand it right!), we have to be especially careful about
framing the background note and agenda. In this regard I have
the following observations to make. <br>
<br>
(1) Consumer rights are not considered as human rights. Consumer
rights are based on private contracts, although the consumer as
the structurally weaker party in such contracts is provided some
special general protections which are embodied in consumer
rights. Human rights are based on the social contract. (There
are those who go even further and claim that they are kind of
part of our 'natural condition' but I dont buy that.) I do not
think we should include consumer rights as part of human rights.
It greatly dilutes the </font><font face="Verdana">discourse of
</font><font face="Verdana">human rights, and their legitimacy. <br>
<br>
(2) The background note focusses exclusively on civil and
political rights, like privacy, FoE, and does not mention
social, economic and cultural rights at all. It is useful to
refer in this regard the opening paragraphs of the Geneva
Declaration that speaks of indivisibility of human rights, and
the need to take all kinds and categories of human rights
together. In context of the Internet, one can immediately think
of human rights issues like, universal access (especially with
some countries already treating it as a right) and net
neutrality. There are others as well, like cultural rights
involved in multilingualism, domain name allocations etc. It
will be good if we can expand the note to give representation
and space to all kinds of human rights and not just civil and
political rights. Alternatively, maybe we can call the event as
a round table on civil and political rights.<br>
<br>
This is for your consideration.<br>
<br>
Also, can I share this note with civil society groups for their
comments?<br>
<br>
best regards, parminder <br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On Friday 12 October 2012 12:05 PM, <a
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:alice@apc.org">alice@apc.org</a> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:39887.10.254.253.3.1350023752.squirrel@sqmail.gn.apc.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Dear Colleaques,
We wish to submit this proposal for a Human Rights round Table.
Apologies for submitting it a bit late, but hope you will consider it.
Best regards
Alice
------------------------------
HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE
IGF 2012
Background
During the IGF MAG meeting held in May 2012 in Geneva, several ways to
develop the cross-cutting issues (human rights and development) were
proposed. Particularly, the group in charge of structuring the Taking
Stock and the Way Forward session suggested that the second part of the
session includes feedback from the cross-cutting
themes which could be developed through round tables. It was supported by
other MAG members (see transcripts MAG meeting 17 May)[1].
Additionally, it is important to mention as a background element, that
approximately 40 workshop proposals for the 2012 Internet Governance Forum
make specific reference to human rights related issues, including privacy,
freedom of expression, data rights, cyber security, and internet
intermediary liability.
Consumer rights are a growing area of interest, including the need for
transparency, regulatory oversight, and mechanisms for addressing consumer
complaints. Data ownership and privacy are major issues in this area.
Human rights in relation to security is a major theme for the IGF,
including cybercrime, and the tension between privacy and security. There
are several proposed workshops on the protection of children and youth, as
well as practical workshops on surveillance and data protection.
Developing best practices and legal frameworks is discussed in many of the
workshop proposals, particularly in light of increasing restrictions on
freedom of expression, and new liabilities for internet intermediaries.
Multi-stakeholderism is a cross-cutting theme in the workshop proposals,
particularly with respect to determining best practices and frameworks.
Based on it, Kenya, in partnership with APC, Finland and Sweden, would
like to propose the organisation of a human rights round table which look
at how HR issues related to the internet were addressed in the various
main sessions and workshops.
Objective
The objective of the human rights round table is to gather comprehensive
feedback from the various main sessions and workshops in relation to which
human rights issues were addressed by the various stakeholders and to use
those inputs to feed the Taking Stock and the Way Forward session. It
will help us to increase knowledge and understanding of the human rights
and the internet specific concerns and challenges the various stakeholders
have as well as their proposals to address them in the framework of the
internet governance debate. It will also help to increase understanding
of the linkages between the HR issues addressed in the various main
sessions and the main IGF theme.
Themes in analysis will include privacy, censorship, intermediary
liability, cybercrime, among others.
Format
The round table will be held in a multi-stakeholder environment in which
speakers/participants who took part of the various main sessions and
workshops bring their perspectives in a concrete manner to feed the TSWF
session and propose ways to advance the HR discussion within the IGF.
_______________________________________________
igf_members mailing list
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:igf_members@intgovforum.org">igf_members@intgovforum.org</a>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mail.intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/igf_members_intgovforum.org">http://mail.intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/igf_members_intgovforum.org</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
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