The Freedom Online Coalition: A United Nations Project

4-29-2014 Global:

The Freedom Online Coalition is an intergovernmental coalition committed to advancing Internet freedom – free expression, association, assembly, and privacy online – worldwide. In its founding document, the “Hague Declaration”, the FOC declared that the same rights apply online as well as offline.

Freedom Online: Joint Action for Free Expression on the Internet: Underscoring our commitment to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and reaffirming that everyone has the right 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, as well as the right to freedom of assembly and association, the right to the protection of the law against arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, and the freedom of religion or belief, amongst others, ... ...

Endorsed by Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Estonia, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Latvia, the Republic of Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Sweden.

Therefore, FOC member states are committed to working together diplomatically to voice concern over measures to restrict Internet freedom and support those individuals whose human rights online are curtailed. Since its inception in 2011 in The Hague, the Netherlands, the coalition has grown from 15 to 23 member countries. ..Source.. by UN

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Kerry says open internet access a 'fundamental right,' denounces curbs on social media

4-28-2014 Washington DC:

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry says people around the world have a fundamental right to the Internet. He is denouncing authoritarian governments that place restrictions on web access and social media.

Speaking from Washington to an online freedom forum in Estonia, Kerry said Monday that open and unrestricted communication helps make governments accountable. He said autocratic rulers therefore see a free, open and inclusive Internet as a threat to their power. Kerry said restrictions imposed by authoritarian leaders allow them to fragment their societies and cloud the truth.

On the other hand, Kerry said the U.S. and other democracies must continue to push for Internet freedom to give people a voice.

Kerry also stressed the importance of protecting Internet privacy and noted recent changes to U.S. intelligence-gathering. ..Source.. by MATTHEW LEE

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UN Human Rights Committee finds US in violation on 25 counts

4-24-2014 Global:

While President Obama told the country to “look forward, not backward” when it came to Bush’s torture program, the United Nations has taken a different route. Recently, the U.N. Human Rights Committee issued a report excoriating the United States for its human rights violations. It focuses on violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the country is party.

The report mentions 25 human rights issues where the United States is failing. This piece will focus on a few of those issues – Guantanamo, NSA surveillance, accountability for Bush-era human rights violations, drone strikes, racism in the prison system, racial profiling, police violence and criminalization of the homeless.

Accountability for Bush-era crimes; torture

The U.N. committee expressed concerned with “the limited number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions of members of the Armed Forces and other agents of the U.S. government, including private contractors” for “unlawful killings in its international operations” and “torture” in CIA black sites during the Bush years. It welcomed the closing of the CIA black sites, but criticized the “meager number of criminal charges brought against low-level operatives” for abuses carried out under the CIA’s rendition, interrogation and detention program. The committee also found fault with the fact that many details of the CIA’s torture program “remain secret, thereby creating barriers to accountability and redress for victims.” ..Continued..This is a very large article and includes violations with respect to homeless folks.. by Adam Hudson

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UN Document Promotes Equality For Women

3-22-2014 Global:

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After two weeks of heated debate, liberal and conservative countries early Saturday approved a U.N. document to promote equality for women that reaffirms the sexual and reproductive rights of all women and endorses sex education for adolescents.

The 24-page final declaration (8 Goals) approved by consensus early Saturday by the 45-member Commission on the Status of Women expresses deep concern that overall progress toward the U.N. goal of gender equality and empowerment of women remains "slow and uneven"

The commission said "the feminization of poverty persists" and reaffirmed that equality for women is essential for sustained economic development.

It called for equality, empowerment, and human rights for women to be a major plank in new U.N. development goals expected to be adopted next year.

For more progressive countries, there was relief that there was no back-pedaling on international recognition of women's reproductive and sexual rights and access to health services in the final document.

It calls for "universally accessible and available quality comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, information and education."

This should include "safe and effective methods of modern contraception, emergency contraception, prevention programs for adolescent pregnancy ... (and) safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law," the document says.

Egyptian minister and women's rights activist Mervat Tallawy, who led the country's delegation, said the final document reaffirmed all the gains women made at the 1994 U.N. population conference in Cairo and the 1995 U.N. women's conference in Beijing.

"We will never give in to the prevailing web of conservatism against women in all regions of the world," Tallawy said to thunderous applause. "We shall not allow fundamentalists and extreme groups to disarm women from their rights."

"I am speaking for all the women of the world. We will continue to struggle for our rights," Tallawy concluded to sustained applause that was finally cut off by the chair.

Delegates said the final vote was delayed because Russia at the last minute tried to insert a reference to sovereignty. It did not succeed.

Conservative countries did succeed in blocking any reference to different forms of the family, or to problems that women face because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The document recognizes the family as a contributor to the development of girls and women.

U.S. representative Terri Robl welcomed the final conclusions and the commission's "commitment to fighting discrimination and prejudice, which for too long has denied many women and girls the ability to contribute to economic growth and development."

But she expressed regret that the commission "did not explicitly acknowledge the vulnerabilities confronting women and adolescents as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity."

On the sensitive issue of sex education, the document calls for the development and implementation of educational programs for human sexuality, "based on full and accurate information, for all adolescents and youth ... with the appropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians." ..Continued.. by NPR

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United Nations Report Declares Internet Access a Human Right

6-3-2011 Global:

A United Nations report said Friday that disconnecting people from the internet is a human rights violation and against international law.

The report railed against France and the United Kingdom, which have passed laws to remove accused copyright scofflaws from the internet. It also protested blocking internet access to quell political unrest (.pdf).

While blocking and filtering measures deny users access to specific content on the Internet, states have also taken measures to cut off access to the Internet entirely. The Special Rapporteur considers cutting off users from internet access, regardless of the justification provided, including on the grounds of violating intellectual property rights law, to be disproportionate and thus a violation of article 19, paragraph 3, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Article 19

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.

The report continues:

The Special Rapporteur calls upon all states to ensure that Internet access is maintained at all times, including during times of political unrest. In particular, the Special Rapporteur urges States to repeal or amend existing intellectual copyright laws which permit users to be disconnected from Internet access, and to refrain from adopting such laws.

The report, by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, comes the same day an internet-monitoring firm detected that two thirds of Syria’s internet access has abruptly gone dark, in what is likely a government response to unrest in that country. ..Source.. by David Kravets

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Resolution on the Promotion, Protection, and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet

7-5-2012 National:

Today, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution (L13 — The Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet) with the message that there can be no division or double standard regarding human rights online. The landmark resolution makes clear that all individuals are entitled to the same human rights and fundamental freedoms online as they are offline, and all governments must protect those rights regardless of the medium.

The free flow of news and information is under threat in countries around the world. We are witnessing an alarming surge in the number of cases involving government censorship and persecution of individuals for their actions online – sometimes for just a single tweet or text message.

This resolution is a welcome addition in the fight for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms online, in particular the freedom of expression, as well as the freedoms of religion or belief, assembly and association, and the right to be free of arbitrary interference with privacy.

The United States was proud to work with the main sponsor, Sweden, and over 80 co-sponsors, including Brazil, Turkey, Nigeria, and Tunisia, to help pass this resolution. We will continue to stand with our partners to address challenges to online freedom, and to ensure that human rights are protected in the public square of the 21st century. ..Source.. by Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton

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TEXT OF L13 FOLLOWS:

The following is the text of Resolution L13 — The Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet – adopted by consensus on by the Human Rights Council.

Human Rights Council
Twentieth session
Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Algeria*, Argentina*, Australia*, Austria, Azerbaijan*, Belgium, Bolivia (Plurinational State of)*, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil*, Bulgaria*, Canada*, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire*, Croatia*, Cyprus*, Czech Republic, Denmark*, Djibouti, Egypt*, Estonia*, Finland*, France*, Georgia*, Germany*, Greece*, Guatemala, Honduras*, Hungary, Iceland*, India, Indonesia, Ireland*, Italy, Latvia*, Libya, Liechtenstein*, Lithuania*, Luxembourg*, Maldives, Malta*, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco*, Montenegro*, Morocco*, Netherlands*, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine*, Peru, Poland, Portugal*, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Korea*, Romania, Serbia*, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Somalia*, Spain, Sweden*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Timor-Leste*, Tunisia*, Turkey*, Ukraine*, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*, United States of America, Uruguay: draft resolution

20/… The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Recalling all relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, in particular Council resolution 12/16 of 2 October 2009, and also recalling General Assembly resolution 66/184 of 22 December 2011,

Noting that the exercise of human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression, on the Internet is an issue of increasing interest and importance as the rapid pace of technological development enables individuals all over the world to use new information and communications technologies,

Taking note of the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, submitted to the Human Rights Council at its seventeenth session,[1] and to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session,[2] on freedom of expression on the Internet,

1. Affirms 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 articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

2. Recognizes the global and open nature of the Internet as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development in its various forms;

3. Calls upon all States to promote and facilitate access to the Internet and international cooperation aimed at the development of media and information and communications facilities in all countries;

4. Encourages special procedures to take these issues into account within their existing mandates, as applicable;

5. Decides to continue its consideration of the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, on the Internet and in other technologies, as well as of how the Internet can be an important tool for development and for exercising human rights, in accordance with its programme of work.

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