Saturday, November 01, 2003
WSIS veering towards disaster
The World summit on the Information society (WSIS) is veering towards failure unless a preparatory committee this month settles profound differences between world governments. Prep Com 3, which ended in disarray last September, reconvenes in Geneva from November 10th for a three day sitting. It will aim to establish an agreement of principles and plan of action in time for the WSIS. If it fails, then the 50 Heads of State expected to Geneva may decline their invitations and push the aims of the summit down the agenda of world affairs. The coming weeks thus mark an important stage in the eighteen months of preparations for the WSIS.
For many though WSIS largely remains a mystery. Up until the spectacular collapse of prep com 3 last September, WSIS was absent from the media agenda. Despite the lack of press coverage though, it appears that the summit may mark an important date in global information policy. Its aims, according to Mr Yoshio Utsumi the secretary general of the International Telecommunions Unit, are too “raise awareness among world leaders of the implications of the information society; getting their firm commitment to tackle the injustice of the digital divide; and developing new legal and policy frameworks appropriate to cyberspace.”
One of the most important issues for discussion at prep com 3 will centre on press freedom and controls over internet content. The discussions and draft documents arising from the preparatory committees so far have raised concern among various press freedom organisations. They fear that some governments may push to place restrictions on internet and media content, and thus curb press freedom. The vocal support of the Chinese government, coupled with the actions of the preparatory committee, has done little to quell these fears.
Last September saw many organisations come out in force to criticise the WSIS’s approach to the issue of press freedom. AMARC and the International Press Institute (IPI) expressed concern that the WSIS draft declaration contains phrases weakening the right to freedom of expression. This included language respecting free expression rights "in accordance with the legal system in each country" and concepts such as "right to communicate" and "accountability" of news media. "These are dangerously vague and overly broad, and legitimise direct threats to freedom of the press," IPI added. Not least of concern is the decision to hold the second phase of the summit in Tunisia, a country the IPI has described as one that “violates its free speech and press freedom commitments by censoring its press and jailing journalists who issue critical reports." It has called for the WSIS to suspend plans to meet in Tunisia until the Tunisian government demonstrates its commitment to press freedom.
Perhaps most significantly though, the WSIS has banned Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) from participating in the meeting after its protests against the Libyan chairmanship of a UN human rights body led to its expulsion from that forum. The RSF responded angrily to the expulsion stating that “the coming WSIS is a key event for freedom of expression. Several human rights organisations have already voiced fears about the draft declaration that could be adopted by UN member states in December. Dictatorships and other repressive regimes intend to use this summit to subject information on the Internet to measures of control and censorship. The documents being drafted would, in particular, make online press freedom dependent on ‘each country's legislation.’ Against this backdrop, banning a press freedom organisation from attending the WSIS is likely to alarm those that defend human rights and freedom of expression. The UN human rights farce continues.”
The World summit on the Information society (WSIS) is veering towards failure unless a preparatory committee this month settles profound differences between world governments. Prep Com 3, which ended in disarray last September, reconvenes in Geneva from November 10th for a three day sitting. It will aim to establish an agreement of principles and plan of action in time for the WSIS. If it fails, then the 50 Heads of State expected to Geneva may decline their invitations and push the aims of the summit down the agenda of world affairs. The coming weeks thus mark an important stage in the eighteen months of preparations for the WSIS.
For many though WSIS largely remains a mystery. Up until the spectacular collapse of prep com 3 last September, WSIS was absent from the media agenda. Despite the lack of press coverage though, it appears that the summit may mark an important date in global information policy. Its aims, according to Mr Yoshio Utsumi the secretary general of the International Telecommunions Unit, are too “raise awareness among world leaders of the implications of the information society; getting their firm commitment to tackle the injustice of the digital divide; and developing new legal and policy frameworks appropriate to cyberspace.”
One of the most important issues for discussion at prep com 3 will centre on press freedom and controls over internet content. The discussions and draft documents arising from the preparatory committees so far have raised concern among various press freedom organisations. They fear that some governments may push to place restrictions on internet and media content, and thus curb press freedom. The vocal support of the Chinese government, coupled with the actions of the preparatory committee, has done little to quell these fears.
Last September saw many organisations come out in force to criticise the WSIS’s approach to the issue of press freedom. AMARC and the International Press Institute (IPI) expressed concern that the WSIS draft declaration contains phrases weakening the right to freedom of expression. This included language respecting free expression rights "in accordance with the legal system in each country" and concepts such as "right to communicate" and "accountability" of news media. "These are dangerously vague and overly broad, and legitimise direct threats to freedom of the press," IPI added. Not least of concern is the decision to hold the second phase of the summit in Tunisia, a country the IPI has described as one that “violates its free speech and press freedom commitments by censoring its press and jailing journalists who issue critical reports." It has called for the WSIS to suspend plans to meet in Tunisia until the Tunisian government demonstrates its commitment to press freedom.
Perhaps most significantly though, the WSIS has banned Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) from participating in the meeting after its protests against the Libyan chairmanship of a UN human rights body led to its expulsion from that forum. The RSF responded angrily to the expulsion stating that “the coming WSIS is a key event for freedom of expression. Several human rights organisations have already voiced fears about the draft declaration that could be adopted by UN member states in December. Dictatorships and other repressive regimes intend to use this summit to subject information on the Internet to measures of control and censorship. The documents being drafted would, in particular, make online press freedom dependent on ‘each country's legislation.’ Against this backdrop, banning a press freedom organisation from attending the WSIS is likely to alarm those that defend human rights and freedom of expression. The UN human rights farce continues.”
