[governance] Fwd: [igf_members] WCIT

Thu Nov 15 21:30:45 EST 2012

I do not think that we should sign on to this for reasons that should be
obvious from my earlier two notes today.

If we do look to sign on then it should be a somewhat nuanced response
(which I hope and even expect that the ITUG and Greenpeace might shift to
once they have had a chance to reflect a bit further on these issues).

Our approach should of course, include a call for additional transparency
and inclusivity in decision making but also a recognition of the need for
collective intervention in support of the public interest in areas such as
universal access and net neutrality and the extension of any concerns with
respect to transparency and accountability to those private companies whose
quasi-monoply positions in various Internet areas give them the means to
introduce and enforce de facto operating policies and standards.

Mike

From: izumiaizu at gmail.com [mailto:izumiaizu at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Izumi
AIZU
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 5:17 PM
To: governance
Subject: [governance] Fwd: [igf_members] WCIT

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-campai
gn-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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