[governance] : "It is crucial to address who and what shapes the Internet today" - UN expert on cultural rights

Mon May 21 18:12:59 EDT 2012

I agree that "it is crucial to address who and what shapes the internet
today."

I'm recalling our past discussions about the fact that there IS
"governance" throughout the internet today, and thus any calls to "keep
governments out" necessarily helps to preserve the present status quo of
"private regulation" with some governmental regulation, mostly of the
"structural" variety.

Regardless of whether one supports or opposes this status quo, it is
necessary to be informed enough to know what the status quo at least is.
The real question is not whether internet behavior is or is not going to be
shaped by legal and non-legal forces, but the extent to which every force
that comes to play regarding the internet holds sway or not.

Paul Lehto, J.D.

On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 3:29 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net>wrote:

> **
> Hi all
>
>  See as below a statement issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural
> Rights, noting that "it is crucial to address who and what shapes the
> Internet today". Welcoming the yesterday's meeting on enhanced
> cooperation, the statement underlines the urgency to arrive at a global
> consensus on Internet governance and architecture.
>
> The statement also stresses the need to uphold the principle of network
> neutrality. (We ourselves think it is important to bring the discussion
> about this basic architectural principle of the Internet to global IG
> spaces, which really hasnt happened in an effective manner. The manner in
> which the issue of global network neutrality remains unaddressed also quite
> effectively highlights the problem of 'what happens next' after a global IG
> issue has been discussed and re-discussed in the IGF) .
>
> BTW, we are also happy to note that the Special Rapporteur takes a
> positive note of the civil society joint statement<http://www.itforchange.net/civil_society_statement_on_democratic_internet>on democratisation of global governance of the Internet, (issued by more
> that 50 CS organisations).
>
> parminder , IT for Change
>
>  ------------------------------
>
>
> *(issued as received)*
> ****
>
> M/12/15
> 18 May 2012****
>
>
> *“It is crucial to address who and what shapes the Internet today” – UN
> expert on cultural rights*
>
>
> (GENEVA. 18 May 2012) – “With the Internet becoming such a powerful medium
> through which individuals exercise a wide range of human rights, it is
> crucial to address who and what shapes the Internet today,” said the United
> Nations Special Rapporteur on cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, adding that
> a “human-rights based approach to the issue should always be adopted”.
>
> “Since the Internet is essentially a global resource, it is crucial that
> appropriate Internet governance supports the right of everyone to have
> access to and use information and communication technologies in
> self-determined and empowering ways,” Ms. Shaheed stressed prior to today’s
> meeting in Geneva of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for
> Development to discuss policy issues regarding Internet governance.*
>
> Given the urgency to arrive at a global consensus on Internet governance
> and architecture, the Special Rapporteur welcomed the first steps taken to
> discuss these issues in an inclusive way, noting the demand expressed by
> some civil society organizations for a democratization of the global
> governance of the Internet.
>
> “The Internet has become a key element for the enjoyment and the promotion
> of human rights such as the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
> including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of
> all kinds regardless of frontiers; the right to share and enjoy the
> benefits of scientific progress and its applications; the right to
> participate in cultural life and engage with others through inter-cultural
> dialogue; as well as the right to development,” she noted.
>
> “As such, it can also play an important role to promote democratic
> participation, accountability, transparency and economic development”, Ms.
> Shaheed said. “It is therefore vital to safeguard the immense potential of
> the Internet to promote human rights, and to maintain it as a global
> resource for all to enjoy.”
>
> Ms. Shaheed underlined the need to ensure that the Internet is not
> parceled into ‘national spheres’ and to guard against any monopolistic
> appropriation of the Internet, which could seriously reduce the public
> spaces where social actors interact as equals. In her view, “it is
> important that Internet governance policies and architecture promote public
> spaces on the Internet and be based on open and public standards.”
>
> Moreover, she highlighted that discussions surrounding policy issues
> should seek to pinpoint basic principles to guide the development of the
> architecture of the Internet, fully taking into consideration all human
> rights and the principles of equality and non-discrimination. “The
> principle of net neutrality, whereby all content is treated equally over
> the Internet, is a foundational principle of the Internet and should be
> upheld”, she stressed.
>
> “The Internet started as a collegial enterprise of communication and
> sharing informed by the principles of equality, non-interference and
> non-hierarchy,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Its architecture was
> constructed in a manner which ensured that the flow of content was
> independent of the carrier infrastructure, making it very difficult for
> anyone to control the flows on the Internet. It is essential that these
> basic elements that make Internet such a unique and important tool for
> communication are maintained.”
>
> (*) The UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development of the
> Economic and Social Council will hold an open, interactive meeting on
> enhanced cooperation on public policy issues relating to the Internet on 18
> May 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting involves Member States and
> other stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries, including
> the private sector, civil society and international organizations, with a
> view to identifying a shared understanding about enhanced cooperation on
> public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, in accordance with
> paragraphs 34 and 35 of the Tunis Agenda.
>
> ENDS
>
> *Ms. Farida Shaheed took up her functions as Independent Expert and then
> Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in August 2009. She has
> worked for more than 25 years promoting and protecting cultural rights by
> fostering policies and projects designed in culturally sensitive ways to
> support the rights of marginalized sectors, including women, peasants, and
> religious and ethnic minorities. Ms. Shaheed has been the recipient of
> several national and international human rights awards, and is an
> experienced participant in negotiations at international, regional and
> national levels. *
>
> *Learn more about the mandate and work of the Special Rapporteur: **
> http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/cultural_rights/index.htm*<http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/cultural_rights/index.htm>
> * *
>
> *For inquiries and media requests, please contact Ms. Mylène Bidault (+ 41 22
> 917 9254 /* *mbidault at ohchr.org* <mbidault at ohchr.org>*) **or Marcelo
> Daher (+41 22 917 9431 / **mdaher at ohchr.org* <mdaher at ohchr.org>*) or
> write to **ieculturalrights at ohchr.org* <ieculturalrights at ohchr.org>*.*
>
> For *media inquiries* related to other UN Special Rapporteurs:
> Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
> xcelaya at ohchr.org)
>
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>
> __________
>
> *For use of the information media; not an official record*****
>
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-- 
Paul R Lehto, J.D.
P.O. Box 1
Ishpeming, MI  49849
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