[governance] Fwd: [igf_members] WCIT

Thu Nov 15 20:31:48 EST 2012

Most definitely yes, we need to come out strongly in favour of this.   And may I again say how refreshing it is to hear civil society voices in igov aside from the usual suspects, and see that they're leveraging their capabilities to the maximum in this arena.

--srs (htc one x)

----- Reply message -----
From: "Izumi AIZU" <iza at anr.org>
To: "governance" <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>
Subject: [governance] Fwd: [igf_members] WCIT
Date: Fri, Nov 16, 2012 6:46 AM

And this one, too, to take note.
Should IGC consider a Statement soon?
Any volunteer ?

Izumi

----------転送メッセージ----------
From: *Chris Disspain*
日付: 2012年11月16日金曜日
件名: [igf_members] WCIT
To: Internet Governance Forum <igf_members at intgovforum.org>

All,

FYI, below is text of media release from ITUC following a meeting Thursday
with ITU.

Cheers,

Chris

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

ITU Refuses Proposals for Open Discussion of Plans to Regulate Internet

Geneva, 15 November 2012(ITUC Media Release):  The International Trade
Union Confederation (ITUC) today met with Dr Hamadoun Toure, Head of the
UN’s International Telecommunication Union, to take internet regulation
proposals off the agenda of the World Conference on International
Telecommunication (WCIT-12) due to take place in Dubai in December.  ITUC
General Secretary Sharan Burrow said that the internet had always been
managed by a multi-stakeholder approach, but that the proposed changes
would radically undermine this model and seriously alter internet
governance.

“This is not a process that the UN should stamp as having legitimacy when
governments and in particular telecoms ministries are simply negotiating on
their own interests, in a forum without proper civil society engagement. We
strongly oppose plans which would increase costs, reduce the spread of the
internet and increase net censorship at the expense of human rights.

“We put a proposal to the ITU today to take the damaging proposals off the
table at Dubai, and join a broad, open and multi-stakeholder process that
would bring together all the government, civil society and business
interests to look at the future of the internet.  Regrettably, the ITU
rejected this.”

“The danger for the upcoming World Conference on International
Telecommunications (WCIT-12) is that certain governments will attempt to
undermine the multi-stakeholder approach behind closed doors and without
full transparency.

“Certain proposed changes cause a great deal of alarm to the global labour
movement - in particular, introduction of a pricing regime; requirements
that the internet only be used in a ‘rational’ way - these are changes that
ought to be openly debated; not behind closed doors as the ITU plans.

“We can’t afford to have vested interests of some governments and
telecommunications companies take over the internet as we know it.

“An internet totally controlled by government and big business contradicts
the very essence of what the internet represents - open and free access for
all.

“These are hugely important issues, which should be dealt with in an open,
transparent and inclusive way,” said Ms Burrow.

Phillip Jennings, the General Secretary of UNI Global Union which
represents workers in the telecoms and internet sectors, called on the ITU
to accept trade unions as full discussion partners, which it had never done
despite repeated requests from UNI.
The meeting with Dr Toure came a week after Equal Times launched ‘Stop the
net grab’, a global online campaign to press for an open consultation on
internet regulation
http://www.equaltimes.org/news/stop-the-net-grab-ituc-launches-global-campaign-against-internet-crackdown.
 The ITUC and Greenpeace signaled their concerns in a joint letter to
UN
Secretary General Ban K-moon last Friday.

ENDS

What’s at stake?

If accepted, the changes would allow:

*         Increased government restriction or blocking of information
disseminated via the internet

*        Creation of a global regime of monitoring internet communications,
including the demand that those who send and receive information identify
themselves

*         Requirement that the internet only be used in a ‘rational’ way

*         Governments to shut down internet access if they decide that it
may interfere in the internal affairs of countries or that information of a
‘sensitive nature’ might be shared

*         Introduction of a new pricing regime which would increase costs
and slow down internet growth, especially in the poorer countries.

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 308 affiliated national
organisations from 153 countries and territories.

Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org  and
http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

-- 
                     >> Izumi Aizu <<
Institute for InfoSocionomics, Tama University, Tokyo
Institute for HyperNetwork Society, Oita,
Japan
www.anr.org
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