[IGFmaglist] Proposal for main session on human rights

Wed Jun 3 14:30:27 EDT 2015

Thanks for the strategy and comments, Jac. I wholeheartedly support this
proposal.
Ginger

Ginger (Virginia) Paque
DiploFoundation

*DiploFoundation upcoming online courses:* http://www.diplomacy.edu/courses

On Wed, Jun 3, 2015 at 1:10 PM, Jac sm Kee <jac at apcwomen.org> wrote:

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> Hello everyone,
>
> Not very sure what the details were in terms of submitting a main
> session proposal, but would like to follow up from my suggestion at
> the MAG meeting. Please find below a proposal for a main session on
> human rights, and a brief background on reasons for its consideration.
> Thanking everyone in advance for your thoughts on this.
>
> Best,
> jac
>
> - ----
> Proposal for IGF main session
> Human rights on the internet
> - ---------------------------------
>
> Human rights is a critical internet policy issue. Internet-related
> human rights issues are being addressed all over the world, by bodies
> ranging from the United Nations Human Rights Council, to the Council
> of Europe, to the Organisation of American States, to the Freedom
> Online Coalition to national legislators, courts and human rights
> commissions - not to mention journalists, bloggers, internet
> companies, the internet technical community, researchers and civil
> society organisations.
>
> The IGF used to address rights related issues as part of the
> "Openness" theme. From 2012 the IGF has prioritised human rights
> through either main sessions or round tables.
>
> - - 2012: round table which synthesised discussions at human rights
> related workshops
> - - 2013: main sessions on human rights, surveillance and principles
> - - 2014: round table which synthesised discussions at human rights and
> digital trust related workshops and which produced a message to the
> Human Rights Council.
>
> An Internet-related human rights main session at the 2015 IGF is a
> critical opportunity for debate and for providing decision-makers from
> all stakeholder groups with guidance on how to address current and
> emerging rights issues.
>
> Questions the panel can address:
> - --------------------------------
>
> Aside from responding to the clear interest in the IGF community on
> this thematic area, as shown through the highest number of workshop
> proposals (70/247) and providing an opportunity for listening to the
> main outcomes of the approved human rights related workshops, this
> main session can address the following questions:
>
> * Human rights and sustainable development and internet governance:
> what are the links and the challenges?
> * What  are the implications of internet-related human rights
> decisions for internet governance globally, regionally and nationally?
> * What are the impacts of Internet governance policies and decisions
> on human rights, globally, regionally and nationally.
> * What are  the particular challenges for governments to uphold and
> protect human  rights on the internet?  (This could potentially be the
> focus of the session which could be a way of involving governments more)
> .
> * What are stakeholders doing to build trust in  the internet
> governance ecosystem and to protect rights  extra-territorially?
> * How has gender integration and concerns on internet governance
> improved, what remains key issues, and to what extent has/can IGF
> play/ed a role in this?
> * What is the responsibility of the private sector to  ensure their
> practices and strategies are aligned with human rights  standards?
> * What role can the IGF play intersessionally, and through Best
> Practice Forums, to support internet human-rights related decisions
> and developments in internet policy and protocols.
>
> This session will invite participants with different perspectives to
> discuss the above questions.
>
> Format:
> - -------
>
> To be discussed and finalised.~`
>
> Backgrounder:
> - ------------
> Why is it important for the 2015 IGF to have a human rights-related
> main session?
>
> 1) Link to 2015 main theme: “Evolution of Internet Governance:
> Empowering Sustainable  Development".
> Human development is an integral component of sustainable development
> and social and political and economic social and cultural rights are
> integral to our understanding of how to achieve human development.
>
> 2) Increasing government participation.
> The MAG recognises the need to make the IGF meaningful to governments.
> Human rights obligations are clearly delegated to states and many are
> paying attention to this. In 2014 the Organisation of American States'
> linked Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held  a
> hearing on internet rights, calling on  commissioners to take up
> internet rights issues within the IACHR's  mandate.
>
> Many governments struggle with interpreting and meeting
> internet-related human rights obligations. Some have concerns that
> respect for rights is difficult to 'balance' with national security,
> peace and stability. On the other hand rights advocates argue that
> rights should never be balanced against security.
>
> By creating a main session on this topic the IGF can provide
> governments and regional intergovernmental organisations with the
> opportunity to share challenges and solutions, and can encourage
> cooperation among all stakeholders developing internet governance
> solutions that respect and advance human rights as well as address
> government's concerns with security.
>
> 3) Other entities in the IG ecosystem are focusing on human rights and
> the IGF is the only place were this can be assessed by the broader IG
> community
> ICANN: In response to a 2014 report on human rights ICANN's
> Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) has set up a human rights
> working group and multiple stakeholder groups and constituencies
> within ICANN are creating a cross community working party on human
> rights. Article19 is supporting the drafting of a new report on ICANN
> and human rights which will be discussed in the June 2014 ICANN meeting.
> IRTF:  The Internet Research Task Force is considering a charter for
> research into human rights protocol and architectural considerations.
>
> 4) IGF and the UN and IGF renewal: As the decision on renewal of the
> IGF gets closer the IGF can and should show its relevance to the UN
> system by responding to, and informing, related processes throughout
> the UN. For example:
>
> The Human Rights Council. The HRC discuss a report in June 2015 on
> secure and private online communications, including internet-related
> encryption and anonymity from the Special Rapporteur on Freedom  of
> Expression and Opinion. In March 2015 the HRC Special Rapporteur in
> the field of  cultural rights that explored  copyright policies in the
> digital  context.  It is important for the IGF to discuss  these
> reports as they have implications for all internet stakeholders.
>
> The UN General Assembly. UNGA passed a resolution on the Right to
> Privacy in the  Digital Age in 2014.
>
> UNESCO approved further work on internet-related human rights and
> access to information and knowledge in response to a global UNESCO
> study released in early 2015.
>
> - - End -
>
>
> - ---------------------------------
> Jac sm Kee
> Manager, Women's Rights Programme
> Association for Progressive Communications
> www.apc.org | www.takebackthetech.net | erotics.apc.org
> Jitsi: jacsmk | Skype: jacsmk | Twitter: @jhybe
>
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