[bestbits] FW: [OGP] fw URGENT: Call for signatures on Surveillance statement

Mon Nov 4 06:46:02 EST 2013

Thanks Michael. Web Foundation was present at the OGP and we initiated this
statement together with Access Info Europe and some other friends in the
RTI and transparency communities. Endorsements are open until 11 November:
http://www.webfoundation.org/2013/11/statement-of-concern-on-disproportionate-surveillance/

We'd already drafted the statement before Aruna Roy's remarks in plenary,
but her intervention gave us a lot more momentum. She asked why governments
are spying, carrying out mass surveillance and passing laws that were
limiting space for civic and democratic action, despite talking at OGP
about building partnerships between civil society and government. Kerry
admitted that NSA surveillance had "in some cases" gone “too far," and was
allowed to happen "on autopilot". Video of the session is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX2RpCvLIYk and news coverage
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/31/john-kerry-some-surveillance-gone-too-far

Best wishes
Anne

On Mon, Nov 4, 2013 at 1:12 PM, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:

> An interesting sign on letter below from our fraternal CS cousins in the
> Open Government Partnership process.
>
>
>
> The sign on letter is I think of particular interest in that it calls for
> transparency around surveillance to be built into national OGP
> plans/commitments. (evidently there was a significant dust-up between
> Indian Right to Information activist Aruna Roy and John Kerry over
> transparency, open government and surveillance as a highlight of the just
> concluded OGP event in London.
>
>
>
> M
>
>
>
> *From:* OGP [mailto:ogp-bounces at lists.opengovcanada.ca] *On Behalf Of *Tamir
> Israel
> *Sent:* Saturday, November 02, 2013 12:20 PM
> *To:* OGP at lists.opengovcanada.ca
> *Subject:* [OGP] fw URGENT: Call for signatures on Surveillance statement
>
>
>
> Please see the request below for a call for signatories for a statement to
> the OGP on the need for greater transparency in surveillance.
>
> Best,
> Tamir
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
>
> > Subject:      FW: URGENT: Call for signatures on Surveillance
>
> > statement
>
> > Date:        Fri, 1 Nov 2013 16:17:38 +0100
>
> >  From:       Helen Darbishire <helen at access-info.org> <helen at access-info.org>
>
> > CC:   'Anne Jellema' <anne at webfoundation.org> <anne at webfoundation.org>
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > * *
>
> >
>
> > I am writing from the Open Government Partnership meeting in London to
>
> > urge you to sign a statement that civil society is issuing about the
>
> > need for greater transparency around Surveillance.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Signatures thus far are below. Please send your signatures to me and to
>
> > Anne Jellema of the Web Foundation (anne at webfoundation.org
>
> > <mailto:anne at webfoundation.org> <anne at webfoundation.org>).
>
> >
>
> >  ****Timing**: we will issue the statement at the OGP meeting today but will
>
> > continue to collect signatures through next week, with final date being
>
> > Monday 11 November.  ****Please sign today if you can**!
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Thank you in advance!
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Helen
>
> >
>
> > *----------------------------------------------*
>
> >
>
> > Helen Darbishire
>
> >
>
> > *Executive Director, Access Info Europe <http://www.access-info.org/> <http://www.access-info.org/>*
>
> >
>
> > Mobile + 34 667 685 319
>
> >
>
> > Skype: helen_darbishire
>
> >
>
> > Twitter @helen_access
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > -------//-------//---------//-------//-----
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Statement of Concern on Disproportionate Surveillance
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > We, the undersigned civil society organisations, affirm our deep
>
> > commitment to the goals of the Open Government Partnership, which in its
>
> > declaration endorsed "more transparent, accountable, responsive and
>
> > effective government" founded on the principles of the Universal
>
> > Declaration of Human Rights.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > We join other civil society organisations, human rights groups,
>
> > academics and ordinary citizens in expressing our grave concern over
>
> > allegations that governments around the world, including many OGP
>
> > members, have been routinely intercepting and retaining the private
>
> > communications of entire populations, in secret, without warrants and
>
> > with little or no meaningful oversight. Such practices allegedly include
>
> > the routine exchange of "foreign" surveillance data in order to evade
>
> > domestic laws that restrict governments' ability to spy on their own
>
> > citizens.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Such practices erode the checks and balances on which accountability
>
> > depends, and have a deeply chilling effect on freedom of expression,
>
> > information and association, without which the ideals of open government
>
> > have no meaning.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > As Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, recently said at the United
>
> > Nations, "In the absence of the right to privacy, there can be no true
>
> > freedom of expression and opinion, and therefore no effective democracy."
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Activities that restrict the right to privacy, including communications
>
> > surveillance, can only be justified when they are prescribed by law, are
>
> > necessary to achieve a legitimate aim, and are proportionate to the aim
>
> > pursued.# Without firm legislative and judicial checks on the
>
> > surveillance powers of the executive branch, and robust protections for
>
> > the media and public interest whistleblowers, abuses can and will occur.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > We call on all OGP member governments to:
>
> >
>
> >  recognise the need to update understandings of existing privacy and
>
> > human rights law to reflect modern surveillance technologies and
>
> > techniques.
>
> >
>
> >  commit in their OGP Action Plans to complete by October 2014 a review
>
> > of national laws, with the aim of defining reforms needed to regulate
>
> > necessary, legitimate and proportional State involvement in
>
> > communications surveillance; to guarantee freedom of the press; and to
>
> > protect whistleblowers who lawfully reveal abuses of state power.
>
> >
>
> >  commit in their OGP Action Plans to transparency on the mechanisms for
>
> > surveillance, on exports of surveillance technologies, aid directed
>
> > towards implementation of surveillance technologies, and agreements to
>
> > share citizen data among states.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > SIGNED:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Access Info Europe
>
> >
>
> > Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre, Sri Lanka
>
> >
>
> > Association EPAS, Romania
>
> >
>
> > Center for Independent Journalism, Romania
>
> >
>
> > ****Centre for Law and Democracy, USA**
>
> >
>
> > ****Center for Public Interest Advocacy, Bosnia Herzegovina**
>
> >
>
> > Independent Journalism Center, Moldova
>
> >
>
> > Freedom of Information Center, Armenia
>
> >
>
> > Freedom of Information Forum, Austria (FOIAustria)
>
> >
>
> > Fundar, Center for Research and Analysis, Mexico
>
> >
>
> > GESOC, Mexico
>
> >
>
> > IEEPP, Nicaragua
>
> >
>
> > Media Rights Agenda, Nigeria
>
> >
>
> > MKSS, India
>
> >
>
> > NATO Watch, UK
>
> >
>
> > Obong Denis Udo-Inyang Foundation,Nigeria
>
> >
>
> > Open Knowledge Foundation
>
> >
>
> > Open Rights Group, UK
>
> >
>
> > Privacy and Access Council of Canada  Conseil du Canada de lAccХs et
>
> > la vie PrivИe
>
> >
>
> > PROETICA PERU
>
> >
>
> > Transparency International Armenia
>
> >
>
> > World Wide Web Foundation
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > ****Individuals**
>
> >
>
> > Aruna Roy
>
> >
>
> > Tim Berners-Lee
>
> >
>
> > Vinod Rai, Former Comptroller and Auditor General, India
>
> >
>
> > David Eaves
>
> >
>
> > Dwight E. Hines, Ph.D
>
> >
>
> > Nikhil Dey
>
> >
>
> > Petru Botnaru, freelance journalist, Moldova
>
> >
>
> > Satbir Singh, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Co-Chair, South
>
> > Asian Right to Information Advocates Network
>
> >
>
> > Shankar Singh
>
> >
>
> > Sowmya Kidambi
>
> >
>
>
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-- 
Anne Jellema
Chief Executive Officer
Cape Town, RSA
mob (ZA) +27 61 036 9652
tel (ZA) +27 21 788 4585
tel (US) +1 202 684 6885
Skype anne.jellema
@afjellema

World Wide Web Foundation | 1889 F Street NW, Washington DC, 20006, USA |
www.webfoundation.org | Twitter: @webfoundation
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