[governance] Inputs for synthesis paper

[Parminder]

Hi All

 

The following is the present shape of the proposed submission on 'rights and
the Internet as overarching theme for the IGF-4' on the Goggle doc . If
members want this to go we need greater engagement than has been made till
now. As mentioned 12th September is the last date for submission, and
therefore we need to close discussion on this by 9th September. 

 

Members can ask for access to Google doc platform, or give comments here
which will be incorporated. If this platform is inconvenient, I can try to
set up a wiki. Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanks  

 

 

Parminder

 

IGC's input -1 to the synthesis paper for IGF, Hyderabad.

 

'Rights and the Internet' as the over-arching theme for IGF-4, at Cairo 

 

Global internet policy making and rights - role of the IGF and its
constituent civil society

 

The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) is a civil society
organization that seeks to "promote global public interest objectives in
Internet governance policy making", towards "the realization of
internationally agreed upon principles in support of human rights, social
equity, cultural diversity and social and economic development". The mission
of the IGC "is to provide a forum for discussion, advocacy, action, and for
the presentation of civil society contributions into Internet governance
processes".  (*** citation/footnote needed for quote.)

 

 

The Internet Governance Caucus strongly recommends that 'Rights and the
Internet' be made the overarching theme for IGF-4 in Egypt, and that the
IGF-4's program be framed by the need 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. 

 

The IGC offers the IGF all assistance in helping to shape such a
people-centered rights-based discourse at the IGF meetings, and specifically
to help operationalise the proposal to make 'Rights and the Internet' the
overarching theme for IGF-4 in Egypt. 

 

A complex new emerging ecology of rights and the internet

 

Freedom of expression and openness of the internet are underpinned by
recognized basic human rights. Privacy in the digital space is increasingly
understood as a very important internet right. Conceptions of rights and the
internet also extend to the area of positive rights - for instance in the
area of access, where a right to the internet is being articulated by some,
and to collective rights such as those of cultural expression, which can
underpin the important IGF thematic area of cultural diversity. 

 

Many important internet policy areas, like network neutrality, are being
framed in terms of rights, such as a right to know, access to information
<http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=fals
e&revision=_latest&timestamp=1220281240982&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootno
te2sym> 2 and the right to share information, including perhaps freedom of
expression itself. The right to public information presents itself in a
wholly new manner in a digital environment, where digitized information is
publicly sharable at little or no extra cost. One particular project looks
at positive acts of withholding digital public information from citizens as
a form of censorship. All of these rights-based conceptions may be included
in the IGF openness theme area. 

 

Many other rights such as the right of association and the right to
political participation have important new implications in the internet age,
including in terms of the kind of internet policies that best serve public
interest in these areas.. 

 

It is a widely held fear that while the internet gives unprecedented new
economic, social and political opportunities in many new areas, it may
further widen 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 context, it might be useful to explore what the right to development
means in this new, much more globalized and digitized, context. 

 

Consumers of digital products face new challenges and the consumer's right
<http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=fals
e&revision=_latest&timestamp=1220281240982&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootno
te3sym> 3 to know and completely 'own' the products and services they pay
for is another emerging area of importance. This has great relevance in a
context where corporations are able to extend their digital tentacles of
control into people's houses and their personal devices, in a manner as yet
unsuspected by ordinary consumers.

 

The 'right to property' has conventionally been considered of considerable
importance. However its applicability and (remarkably quick and
far-reaching) mutations in the the digital environment particularly in the
form of Intellectual Property rights is current being widely contested. In
fact, this issue is emerging as a primary area of political economy
contestation in the emerging information society. Are IP rights 'real
rights'? Are corporate entities entitled to rights as we understand the
term? What are the public interest principles which must underpin any
conception of IPR? In the new context, what is the significance of further
developing the concept of a right to access knowledge in the digital space? 

 

Internet governance has up to this time largely been founded in technical
principles of neutrality and, increasingly, on the internet's functionality
as a giant global marketplace. With the internet becoming much more that
just a technical platform or a marketplace, and increasingly central to many
or even most social and political institutions, an alternative foundation
and conceptual framework for IG needs to be explored. It is the view of the
IG Caucus that a right-based framework will be highly appropriate to explore
for this purpose. 

 

It is the also the Caucus' view that the IGF is the framework best placed 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 Egypt. 

 

 

1
<http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=fals
e&revision=_latest&timestamp=1220281240982&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootno
te1anc>  To quote some existing initiatives here

2
<http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=fals
e&revision=_latest&timestamp=1220281240982&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootno
te2anc>  Mentioned in TA

3
<http://docs.google.com/RawDocContents?docID=dcskr5r9_7n2dnxhs&justBody=fals
e&revision=_latest&timestamp=1220281240982&editMode=true&strip=true#sdfootno
te3anc>  Mentioned in TA

 

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