[governance] Statement also signed by Frank LA Rue - "It is crucial to address who and what shapes the Internet today" - UN expert on cultural rights
parminder
parminder at itforchange.net
Tue May 22 03:41:43 EDT 2012
Dear All
There was a miscommunication and the statement on the meeting on
enhanced cooperation that I forwarded as signed by the UN Special
Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, Farida Shaheed, is in fact also co-signed
by the UN special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Frank La Rue. The
joint statement is enclosed. parminder
On Tuesday 22 May 2012 03:42 AM, Paul Lehto wrote:
> 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
> <mailto: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// /
>
> /For inquiries and media requests, please contact Ms. Mylène
> Bidault (+ 41* *22 917 9254 // /mbidault at ohchr.org/
> <mailto:mbidault at ohchr.org>/) //or Marcelo Daher (+41 22 917 9431
> <tel:%28%2B41%2022%20917%209431> / //mdaher at ohchr.org/
> <mailto:mdaher at ohchr.org>/) or write to
> //ieculturalrights at ohchr.org/ <mailto:ieculturalrights at ohchr.org>/./
>
> For *media inquiries* related to other UN Special Rapporteurs:
> Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383
> <tel:%28%2B%2041%2022%20917%209383> / xcelaya at ohchr.org
> <mailto: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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