[Advisors] FW: [ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of
Resolution on Human Rights and the Internet at 20th Human Rights Council
Gary Kenward
GaryKenward at eastlink.ca
Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:13:26 -0300
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------ Forwarded Message
From: <cover@isoc.org>
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:37:33 -0400 (EDT)
To: Internet Society <Isoc-members-announce@elists.isoc.org>
Subject: [ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of
Resolution on Human Rights and the Internet at 20th Human Rights Council
Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of Resolution on Human Rights and the
Internet at 20th Human Rights Council [Geneva, Switzerland, 9 July 2012] --
The Internet Society welcomes the United Nations Human Rights Council=B9s
Resolution on the =B3promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on
the Internet.=B2 The Resolution affirms that the same rights that people have
offline must also be protected online, and recognizes the global and open
Internet as a driving force for development. It also calls upon all States
to promote and facilitate access to the Internet. The 20th Session of the
United Nations Human Rights Council was held in Geneva on 18 June =AD 6 July
2012. The Resolution was put forward by Sweden and adopted by consensus.
Markus Kummer, Vice President of Public Policy at the Internet Society,
commented, =B3We are grateful to Sweden and all the countries that supported
this Resolution as it reaffirms the importance of the Internet as an enable=
r
of the fundamental rights of every individual. The Human Rights Council has
an important role to play in ensuring that its Member States allow their
citizens to exercise their most basic rights, including the freedom to
express themselves or associate peacefully online.=B2 In recent years,
momentum has been building in the Council for the inclusion of the Internet
as a legitimate space to take into account for the exercise of several huma=
n
rights. The report by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protectio=
n
of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has made it clear that
denying access to the Internet can be a violation of a fundamental human
right. Kummer remarked, =B3It is encouraging to see this formal endorsement o=
f
a rights-based approach for the Internet. There have been numerous examples
of policies encouraging restrictions of Internet access without due regard
to users=B9 ability to exercise some of their fundamental rights. The Interne=
t
has permeated all aspects of our lives, and this text reminds us that we
cannot dissociate the international human rights regime and the rule of law
from the widespread use of the open, decentralized, and global Internet.=B2
The Internet Society engaged in drafting sessions leading to the adoption o=
f
this new Resolution and suggested the inclusion of the notion of the =B3open
Internet=B2 in the text, which was subsequently included in the final
document. =B3The inclusion of the open and global nature of the Internet in
this official UN Resolution is an acknowledgment of some of the key
attributes that make the Internet successful,=B2 said Lynn St. Amour,
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Society. =B3We firmly
believe that the open Internet model is organically linked to the exercise
of Human Rights online. Thanks to its fundamental characteristics, the
Internet has given a great boost to freedom of expression and peaceful
assembly throughout the world. These characteristics must be preserved.=B2
Link to news release:
http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-welcomes-adoption-reso=
l
ution-human-rights-and-internet-20th-human-rights
_______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC
subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal:
https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My
Account menu.
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<TITLE>FW: [ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of Resol=
ution on Human Rights and the Internet at 20th Human Rights Council</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE=3D"Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE=3D'font-size:12pt=
'>------ Forwarded Message<BR>
<B>From: </B><<a href=3D"cover@isoc.org">cover@isoc.org</a>><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:37:33 -0400 (EDT)<BR>
<B>To: </B>Internet Society <<a href=3D"Isoc-members-announce@elists.isoc.=
org">Isoc-members-announce@elists.isoc.org</a>><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>[ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of =
Resolution on Human Rights and the Internet at 20th Human Rights Council<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE=3D'font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE=3D"Consolas, Courier Ne=
w, Courier">Internet Society Welcomes Adoption of Resolution on Human Rights=
and the Internet at 20th Human Rights Council
[Geneva, Switzerland, 9 July 2012] -- The Internet Society welcomes the Uni=
ted Nations Human Rights Council’s Resolution on the “promotion,=
protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet.” The Resol=
ution affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be pro=
tected online, and recognizes the global and open Internet as a driving forc=
e for development. It also calls upon all States to promote and facilitate a=
ccess to the Internet. The 20th Session of the United Nations Human Rights C=
ouncil was held in Geneva on 18 June – 6 July 2012.
The Resolution was put forward by Sweden and adopted by consensus.
Markus Kummer, Vice President of Public Policy at the Internet Society, com=
mented, “We are grateful to Sweden and all the countries that supporte=
d this Resolution as it reaffirms the importance of the Internet as an enabl=
er of the fundamental rights of every individual. The Human Rights Council h=
as an important role to play in ensuring that its Member States allow their =
citizens to exercise their most basic rights, including the freedom to expre=
ss themselves or associate peacefully online.”
In recent years, momentum has been building in the Council for the inclusio=
n of the Internet as a legitimate space to take into account for the exercis=
e of several human rights. The report by the Special Rapporteur on the promo=
tion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has ma=
de it clear that denying access to the Internet can be a violation of a fund=
amental human right.
Kummer remarked, “It is encouraging to see this formal endorsement of=
a rights-based approach for the Internet. There have been numerous examples=
of policies encouraging restrictions of Internet access without due regard =
to users’ ability to exercise some of their fundamental rights. The In=
ternet has permeated all aspects of our lives, and this text reminds us that=
we cannot dissociate the international human rights regime and the rule of =
law from the widespread use of the open, decentralized, and global Internet.=
”
The Internet Society engaged in drafting sessions leading to the adoption o=
f this new Resolution and suggested the inclusion of the notion of the ̶=
0;open Internet” in the text, which was subsequently included in the f=
inal document.
“The inclusion of the open and global nature of the Internet in this =
official UN Resolution is an acknowledgment of some of the key attributes th=
at make the Internet successful,” said Lynn St. Amour, President and C=
hief Executive Officer of the Internet Society. “We firmly believe tha=
t the open Internet model is organically linked to the exercise of Human Rig=
hts online. Thanks to its fundamental characteristics, the Internet has give=
n a great boost to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly throughout th=
e world. These characteristics must be preserved.”
Link to news release: <a href=3D"http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet=
-society-welcomes-adoption-resolution-human-rights-and-internet-20th-human-r=
ights">http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-welcomes-adoptio=
n-resolution-human-rights-and-internet-20th-human-rights</a>
_______________________________________________
To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe,
please log into the ISOC Member Portal:
<a href=3D"https://portal.isoc.org/">https://portal.isoc.org/</a>
Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My Account menu.<BR>
<BR>
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