[governance] Rights issues in Azerbaijan / What will CS @ Baku do?

[Katitza Rodriguez]

Hi,

I always hear this rule about the fact that we can't name a "country" in 
a UN meeting, and this is an UN rule. I really would like the link to 
this UN rule that I have never ever read.

Another unknown rule for me was the one that was applied to ONI when 
they run their workshop in Egypt releasing the finding of their report 
about Internet Censorship. Suddenly, an unknown rule was applied to them 
without many of us not knowing that this rule exist.

I fear that an unknown rule can be apply to some of our activists in 
Baku if they do their job of raising the awareness of the violations. We 
should make sure that w can have more UN Rapporteurs on the room to help 
us deal with it. I know Frank La Rue will go but may be others should 
join him.

See news below about UN (not related) but again, UN High Commissioner 
for Human Rights, is calling for the support of bloggers in their own 
countries, we need to make sure that they can do the same in Baku.

25 April: Restrictions on NGOs worldwide undermining human rights, says 
UN senior official
Recent moves in a number of countries to limit the freedom of 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are seriously undermining human 
rights, a United Nations senior official said today, urging governments 
to revise proposed laws that would restrict their capacity to operate 
independently and effectively. “Civil society – including NGOs, trade 
unions, human rights defenders, academics, journalists, bloggers and 
others – plays an absolutely crucial role in ensuring that human rights 
are protected in individual states,” said the UN High Commissioner for 
Human Rights, Navi Pillay. “A dynamic and autonomous civil society, able 
to operate freely, is one of the fundamental checks and balances 
necessary for building a healthy society, and one of the key bridges 
between governments and their people. It is therefore crucial that NGOs 
are able to function properly in countries in transition, as well as in 
established democracies,” she added.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?Cr1=&NewsID=41858

On 4/30/12 10:27 AM, Robert Guerra wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
> With all the focus on IGF MAG renewal and remote participation, let's 
> not forget that the Governance Caucus should not lose track of the 
> violations of human rights that are being reported in Azerbaijan.
>
> We need to make sure the UN and Azeri hosts make commitments that 
> allow for respect & protection of Freedom of expression and 
> association not only for participants of the IGF  but also those in 
> the country.
>
> As i've mentioned to many of you privately, we face a Tunis 2005 type 
> scenario - that being, dealing with a well known and documented 
> repressor of online activists and  human rights. We can not be 
> complicit  in their repression nor be used as pawns in their PR 
> campaign as to how great the country is.
>
> To not challenge the country to do better - before, during and after 
> the IGF in Nov - is to not be faithful to the hard fought inclusion of 
> Human Rights in the IGF 2005 summit documents.
>
> Look forward to everyone's comments.
>
> regards
>
> Robert
>
>
>
> --
> R. Guerra
> Phone/Cell: +1 202-905-2081
> Twitter: twitter.com/netfreedom <http://twitter.com/netfreedom>
> Email: rguerra at privaterra.org <mailto:rguerra at privaterra.org>
>


-- 
Katitza Rodriguez
International Rights Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
katitza at eff.org
katitza at datos-personales.org (personal email)

Please support EFF - Working to protect your digital rights and freedom of speech since 1990

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