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World Conference on International Telecommunications affirms right to
freedom of information online
Delegates emphasize pre-eminence of UN treaties on human rights
Dubai, 4 December, 2012 – Delegates at the second Plenary
session of the
World Conference on International Telecommunications
(WCIT-12, 3-14 December) today overwhelmingly supported the importance of
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
affirming the right of all people to freedom of opinion and expression,
including the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
The WCIT-12 conference is being held to renegotiate the
International
Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), a binding global treaty that
facilitates global interconnection and interoperability of information and
communication services, setting out general principles for ensuring the free
flow of information around the world and promoting affordable and equitable
access for all.
A proposal introduced by the delegation of Tunisia asked the conference to
include in Article 1 new wording specifically protecting freedom of expression,
noting that “the same rights that people have offline must also be protected
online”. It asked that Member States protect the right to “all dissemination
means through telecommunications and ICTs in the exercise of this right, as well
as the freedom of online peaceful assembly.”
The proposal sparked some vigorous debate, with delegates unanimously
speaking out in favour of online freedom. Tunisia also pointed out that the
events which have taken place recently in some regions of the world show that
despite the existence and recognition of these rights in existing texts, this
has not prevented some countries from cutting off international
telecommunications, emphasizing that Tunisia believes the WCIT-12 conference
should send a very strong signal about the need to protect the right to freedom
of expression.
The conference asserted that additional text was not needed to be added to
the highly technical treaty in view of the fact that the right to freedom of
expression is already expressly protected by the text of treaties which take
legal precedence over the ITRs, including
Article 19 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and
Article 33 of the ITU’s own Constitution.
ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré had himself already spoken out
strongly on the issue in his
opening speech
to the conference Plenary on Monday 3 December: “One of the most persistent
myths [about WCIT-12] concerns freedom of expression, and it has been suggested
that this conference might in some way act to restrict the open and free flow of
information. In Article 33 of the ITU’s Constitution, however, Member States
recognize the right of the public to correspond by means of the international
service of public correspondence. And the ITRs cannot contradict that provision,
or indeed any other article in the ITU Constitution.” Dr Touré went on to quote
the text of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in full,
reminding all delegates that “here in Dubai we are not going to be challenging
Article 19, or indeed any other article in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was also forthright on the need to assert
freedom of expression in his
video message
to delegates at the opening of the conference on Monday. “The Arab Spring
showed the power of ICT to help people voice their legitimate demands for human
rights and greater accountability…The management of information and
communication technology should be transparent, democratic and inclusive of all
stakeholders …The United Nation system stands behind the goal of an open
internet. The right to communicate is central to the ITU’s mission. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom of expression across
all media and all frontiers…These freedoms are not up for negotiation,” he said.
He also reminded delegates that the World Summit on the Information Society
(2003/2005) affirmed the essential right to the free flow of information and
ideas for peace, development and common progress.
Just prior to WCIT-12, the ITU
World
Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-12) revised and
adopted Resolution 69 on Non-discriminatory access and use of Internet resources
recommending that ITU’s 193 Member States refrain from taking any unilateral
and/or discriminatory actions that could impede another Member State from
accessing public Internet sites and using resources, within the spirit of
Article 1
of the ITU Constitution and the principles set out during the
2003/2005 World Summit on
the Information Society.
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A full English transcript derived from the simultaneous captioning in the
meeting rooms is available for all Plenary and Committee 5 sessions at:
www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/captioning.aspx.
Live and archived multilingual webcasts of the WCIT-12 opening ceremony,
opening press conference and all meetings of the conference Plenary and
Committee 5 over the coming two weeks are available at:
www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/webcast.aspx
From today, ITU will host a daily media briefing with the ITU
Secretary-General and other key officials recapping each day’s discussions.
These briefings will take place at 18:00 local Dubai time, accessible on any
computer via the Adobe Connect platform at:
http://itu.adobeconnect.com/wcit2012/
Speeches, daily meeting schedules and other information can be found on the
main WCIT-12 Newsroom at:
www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/newsroom.aspx
A FAQ, a comprehensive set of Background Briefs covering the main discussion
topics and a WCIT Myth Buster presentation can be found at:
www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/WCIT-backgroundbriefs.aspx
View videos from the meeting and download broadcast quality video footage at:
www.itu.int/en/newsroom/Pages/videos.aspx
Photos from the meeting can be downloaded at:
www.flickr.com/photos/itupictures/sets/72157632073685626/
The main conference preparatory documents can be found at:
www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/documents.aspx
The current ITRs can be found at:
www.itu.int/oth/T3F01000001
Note to editors:
ITU is unique within the UN family in having some 700 Sector Members (mainly
from the private sector) in addition to 193 Member States. All have been
actively engaged in the WCIT-12 preparatory process, which has been underway for
some years. In addition, ITU set up
a public consultation
website open to all stakeholders in six languages (total of 31 submissions
received between 15 August-7 November, of which 29 published [and 2 rejected
because of unauthorized hyperlinks]). ITU has also held four global briefings
(supporting remote participation from anywhere around the world) open to media,
analysts and civil society: those held using Adobe Connect are archived at:
http://www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/media-briefings.aspx.
The full text of the Tunisian proposal:
ITU (Preamble, Articles, Final Formula)
ADD TUN/25/1
1.0 1.0 In implementing the provisions of these
Regulations, Member States shall protect the Right to Freedom of Expression as
recognized by Articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and by Article 33 of the
Constitution; and thereby protect access to all dissemination means through
telecommunication/ICTs in the exercise of this right as well as the freedom of
online peaceful assembly and of association and all other rights on which States
shall impose no limitations other than those permitted by international law, in
particular international human rights law (HRC Resolution 21/25)
Member States acknowledge that the same rights that people have offline must
also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is
applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice, in
accordance with the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; (HRC Resolution 20/8).
In this regard, Member States shall ensure that any restrictions placed on
the exercise of the Right to Freedom of Expression through the means of
telecommunication/ICTs should be in accordance with the criteria set forth in
Article 43 of the Constitution and of Article 19 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Paul Conneally
Head, Communications & Partnership Promotion, ITU
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Sarah Parkes
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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Gary Fowlie
Head, ITU
liaison Office to the United Nations
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Zara Nazim
Raee PR
Dubai Media City
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Sana Al-Lababidi
Raee PR
Dubai Media City
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Noora Al Ameri
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
United Arab Emirates
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Noor M. Shamma
Media Relations Manager
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
United Arab Emirates
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Note for media: please register in ITU’s video
newsroom for access to broadcast quality footage and news packages at
www.itu.int/en/newsroom/Pages/videos.aspx.
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