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World Summit on the Information Society Begins in Geneva
Civil Society groups from around the world are meeting this week at the WSIS to urge national governments to safeguard human rights and to promote full participation in the information society.

The Geneva meetings address a range of goals for the Information Society and means of achieving them. The Summit involves the adoption of a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action. The documents were shaped at preparatory conferences throughout the year by governments, the private sector and civil society representatives. Many members of civil society are insisting on the inclusion of privacy and human rights protections. NGOs say that the preparatory drafts did not adequately protect free expression, narrowly focused on Internet policy, and over emphasized law enforcement interests.

Civil society groups have made many significant contributions to the WSIS process. The Human Rights Caucus on the Information Society and the International Symposium on the Information Society have issued statements on the central role of human rights safeguards. Civil society organizations have also published handbooks to aide public understanding of WSIS issues and processes. Publications include Pole Star by Deborah Hurley, the Advocacy Handbook for the Non Governmental Organisations: The Council of Europe's Cyber-Crime Convention 2001 by Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties, and Involving Civil Society in ICT Policy: the World Summit on the Information Society by APC and the CRIS campaign.

The UNESCO Secretary General has also urged strong safeguards for freedom of expression. 

The Human Rights Caucus has reported from the Summit that their activity has been successful in many ways. According to the Caucus, "The essential principles of universality and indivisibility are reiterated and there are references to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as to the Vienna Declaration and the UN Charter." The document also includes the full extent of Article 19 of the UDHR, which had been at issue. However, as the Caucus reports, much of the Declaration is not focused on human rights. They state, "The discussion around security would have been enhanced by a clear understanding that true security can only be achieved by measures that are fully compatible with international human rights and particularly the right to privacy. We deplore the emphasis that continues to be placed on creating a 'global culture of cyber-security' which aims at 'enhancing trade' instead of implementing human rights (paragraph 35)."

There is more work to be done, particularly to ensure that the human rights principles included are enforced and to prevent the implementation of cyber-security measures that will threaten human rights such as privacy. The Human Rights Caucus and the International Symposium on the Information Society, Human Dignity and Human Rights have proposed an Independent Commission on the Information Society and Human Rights to monitor practices and policies on human rights and the information society.

Fortunately, the Summit became a prime opportunity for civil society groups to network and build a movement in the interest of human rights. Civil society groups organized important events around the conference, including the World Forum on Communication Rights which took place on December 11. This Forum was an independent civil-society led initiative initiated by the CRIS campaign, open to online participation outside of Geneva. It was not created in opposition to the Summit but intended to highlight and make practical progress in spheres the Summit failed to cover. The meetings in Geneva and the follow-up to the Declaration and Plan of Action in Tunisia in 2005 will help shape the future of the Information Society. Learn more. Get involved.

Read more about the World Forum on Communication Rights »

Visit the WSIS web site »

Visit the UNESCO web site »

Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights »

Visit the Human Rights Caucus on the Information Society website »

Read the UNESCO Statement on Freedom of Expression »

Read the statement of the International Symposium on the Information Society »

Read the "Pole Star" report »

Read the "Advocacy Handbook for the Non Governmental Organisations: The Council of Europe's Cyber-Crime Convention 2001" report »

Download "Involving Civil Society in ICT Policy: the World Summit on the Information Society" report »

December 2003

 

 
 

 
 
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