[governance] Just Net Coalition Response to NetMundial Outcome Document

Tue Apr 22 21:29:51 EDT 2014

Sorry for the late response (I live now in a "digital divided" area: 
Internet access only when traveling - like at present).

Here is a URL on /ALAI, América Latina en Movimiento/:

http://alainet.org/active/73101

I had seen the text, quoted on the [governance] list.

Norbert Klein

=

On 4/22/2014 9:55 PM, Carlos Vera Quintana wrote:
> Norbert where's the URL to this?
>
> Carlos Vera Quintana
> 0988141143
> Sígueme @cveraq
>
>> El 22/04/2014, a las 8:27, Norbert Klein <nhklein at gmx.net> escribió:
>>
>> Thanks a lot - excellent.
>>
>> Norbert Klein
>> Cambodia
>>
>>
>>> On 4/22/2014 5:12 PM, Norbert Bollow wrote:
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> please find below and attached the Just Net Coalition's response to
>>> the draft NetMundial Outcome Document.
>>>
>>> Greetings,
>>> Norbert
>>> co-convenor, Just Net Coalition
>>>
>>>
>>> * Just Net Coalition Response to NetMundial Outcome Document *
>>>
>>> President Dilma's Speech in the UN General assembly last September,
>>> resonated throughout the world. It expressed the outrage of the people
>>> on the "grave violation of human rights and of civil liberties", the
>>> threat of "cyberspace being used as a weapon of war" and violation
>>> sovereign rights of countries including Brazil. She expressed the
>>> global discontent in the way the Internet is being currently governed.
>>> She called for protection of data as it travels on the web and
>>> multilateral mechanisms (or UN mechanisms) for the Internet to ensure
>>> democratic governance, cultural diversity, inclusive and non
>>> discriminatory societies, and responsible regulation.
>>>
>>> It is in this context within which the NetMundial conference -- on
>>> April 23rd-24th -- is taking place in Sao Paulo for which Brazil has
>>> taken the initiative.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, all the above issues that President Dilma highlighted in
>>> her UN speech, are missing from the current draft that is being placed
>>> before the conference. The document fails to mention the word
>>> 'democracy' at all - and instead talks only about the multistakeholder
>>> model and governance on the basis of consensus. This, even though such
>>> systems have failed in protecting the global citizens from drag-net
>>> surveillance, the threat of cyber war and the emergence of global
>>> monopolies. Such a model also completely ignores the concept of public
>>> interest in Internet governance.
>>>
>>> If we take the pharmaceutical example, a multistakeholder governance
>>> would have meant deciding /by consensus/-- between global pharma, AIDS
>>> patients in the global south and global governments -- what should be
>>> the cost of such lifesaving drugs, without addressing or identifying
>>> where public good lies. Brazil and other countries rejected such an
>>> approach and that iswhy people in the global south today can afford to
>>> buy drugs for their treatment. And who would accept that pharmaceutical
>>> companies have equal rights with respect to decisions on safety and
>>> effectiveness of their products?
>>>
>>> A model that gives equal rights for public policy to governments, and
>>> corporations, is giving global corporations, a veto to prevent any
>>> meaningful reform and regulation. This is a violation of all democratic
>>> norms and the rights of the people -- their political, economic, social
>>> and cultural rights, essentially surrendering global public interest to
>>> private, unelected, rich and powerful global corporations. How could,
>>> for instance, network neutrality ever be imposed in such a model?
>>>
>>> Governments are answerable to their people; corporations to their
>>> shareholders. People and profits cannot be equated through a specific
>>> model of governance. This is what NetMundial must address; not an
>>> endorsement of the status quo but a new beginning in Internet
>>> governance; an Internet governance that must place public good over
>>> private profit, protect global citizens from mass surveillance and the
>>> threat of cyber weapons. This is the leadership role that we would
>>> expect President Dilma and Brazil to play in NetMundial. This is what
>>> all countries and groups who believe in democracy, advancing human
>>> rights and social justice and a peaceful world must strive for in the
>>> final outcome document.
>>>
>>> The Just Net Coalition has submitted a detailed clause-by-clause
>>> amendment to the Draft of the NetMundial document. We believe that the
>>> draft should be significantly revised to include the following:
>>>
>>> 1. A democratic and multistakeholder Internet governance model with
>>> different roles and responsibilities for different stakeholders;
>>> recognising that corporations and governments cannot be placed on an
>>> equal footing in governing the Internet.
>>>
>>> 2. Restoring the reference to the necessary and proportionate principle
>>> and therefore countering the continuation of mass surveillance.
>>>
>>> 3. Restoring reference to the need for a global compact on prohibition
>>> of cyberwar and cyber weapons.
>>>
>>> 4. Adding a clear reference to net neutrality principles (the current
>>> reference is too vague and ambiguous, permitting practices such as
>>> tiered access and differential pricing).
>>>
>>> 5. Addressing emerging increased power of monopolies in the Internet
>>> space with respect to cultural and language diversity, and
>>> profiteering, and the need for regulating such monopolies.
>>>
>>> 6. Addressing the issue of appropriation and monetisation of data of the
>>> people by corporations.
>>>
>>> 7. Recognizing the concept of global commons or public good in internet
>>> governance.
>>>
>>> 8. Rejecting unilateral preconditions on the IANA transition
>>> discussions.
>>>
>>> We expect that the final outcome document will explicitly foster a
>>> decentralized, free and open, non-hierarchical network of networks, and
>>> not implicitly favour the current trends of Internet governance which
>>> are leading us more and more towards monolithic, centralized walled
>>> gardens. NetMundial must dedicate itself to a roadmap to for an open,
>>> robust and resilient Internet -- acceptable to everyone including the
>>> 70 per cent unconnected majority.
>>>
>>> [Just_Net_Coalition_Response_NetMundial_2014-04-22.pdf  application/pdf
>>> (47084 Bytes)]
>>
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