Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:44:51 +0900 From: "PatchA" <patcha@patcha.jinbo.net> Subject: [communication 1009] FW: [WSIS-CT] CS non-negotiables To: <communication@wsisasia.org> Message-Id: <JOEFJEKMEJDFNEFEKAKNAECDDIAA.patcha@patcha.jinbo.net> X-Mail-Count: 01009Dear all, We have started to make CS "non-negotiable" document. You can refer below. PatchA (Sorry cross posting) -----Original Message----- From: ct-admin@wsis-cs.org [mailto:ct-admin@wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of steve@commedia.org.uk Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 12:49 AM To: ct@wsis-cs.org Subject: [WSIS-CT] CS non-negotiables Dear all A Prepcom 3A civil society drafting group was convened this morning to look at the civil society "non-negotiables" and the civil society vision document. We agreed to work towards releasing an updated version this week of civil society key non-negotiables to act as a benchmark for the Summit and for civil society assessment of the final intergovernmental Declaration and Action Plan. It was agreed this should be based on existing CS texts and consensus position rather than introducing new proposals. The main reference docs are the CS statement on the Draft Declaration at Prepcom 3 and the CS list of "seven musts" produced at Prepcom 2. We will also take into account any issues which have been included in the most recent version of the civil society priorities document (3 August) and the latest detailed CS submission on the draft declaration (30 October, in response to the Samassekou non-paper of 24 October). We need to share the drafting work on this and specifically to have input from thematic caucuses. The input that is required should follow a standard format as follows: - Title and description of the non-negotiable point(s) - Justification as to why this is necessary - The principle(s) and action(s) that should be included This needs to very clear and concise, not more than 100 words per non- negotiable. We are aiming to complete a first draft by Wednesday 12 November, so inputs required by 12.00 noon on 12 November (Geneva time). A draft will be released on Wednesday for comments on this list (within 24 hours). The final version will be tabled at the CS plenary on Friday. We noted that convenors of the following caucuses should input as indicated: Overarching concerns - human rights, media Community media - community media working group Literacy, education and research - Academia and education caucus Capacity building - Academia and education caucus Free and open source software - PCT group Enabling environment - ?? Intellectual property rights - PCT group Internet governance - ICT governance caucus Building confidence, trust and security - privacy and security group Women - NGO gender strategies working group Below are the texts with the "seven musts" and "10 core concerns" and reference URLs to the CS priorities doc and CS response to the Samassekou non-paper. Please send inputs to this list with copy to steve@commedia.org.uk Steve Buckley // World Summit on the Information SocietyPrepCom-2 Geneva, February 2003 25 February 2003 16:00 WSIS- Civil Society Working Group on Content and Themes -- Drafting Committee "Seven Musts": Priority Principles Proposed by Civil Society The following seven principles reflect the issue areas that the Civil Society working group on contents and themes, created by the civil society plenary, feels should be prioritized: 1. Sustainable Development An equitable Information Society needs to be based on sustainable economic and social development and gender justice. It cannot be achieved solely through market forces. 2. Democratic Governance ICTs should facilitate democratic governance and foster participation by citizens. Transparent and accountable government structures at local, national and international levels should be established. 3. Literacy, Education, and Research Only an informed and educated citizenry with access to the means and outputs of pluralistic research can participate in and contribute to Knowledge Societies. Access to tools and facilities that enable lifelong learning need to be created, extended and secured. 4. Human Rights The existing human rights framework should be applied and integrated into the Information Society. ICTs should be used to promote awareness of, respect for and enforcement of universal human rights standards. 5. Global Knowledge Commons Global knowledge commons and the public domain constitute resources that are cornerstones of a global public interest. They should be protected, expanded and promoted. 6. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Recognizing cultural development as a living and evolving process, linguistic diversity, cultural identity and local content need to be not only preserved but also actively fostered. 7. " Information Security " "Information security" concerns should not infringe in any way on people's privacy and right to communicate freely, using information and communications technologies. This document comes out of a broad process of consultation and is a work in progress, as defined in the Civil Society document "Contribution on Common Vision and Key Principles for the Declaration." Compiled by the Drafting Committee of the NGO Subcommittee on Content and Themes. STATEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN RESPONSE TO THE WSIS DRAFT DECLARATION Presentation to Sub-Committee 2, September 22nd 2003 My name is Natasha Primo delegated by the civil society content and themes group. We, representatives from civil society, express our grave concern in response to the Draft Declaration issued on 19th September 2003. The information society described in the document is characterized by uniformity, technocracy and bargaining. It lacks any vision that is people and citizen centered: there is little or no mention of the poor, workers and marginalized groups including indigenous people, refugees, people with disabilities. The emphasis on diversity of peoples, cultures and ways of living is still far from sufficient. Our contributions throughout this process of shaping a common vision of an inclusive, democratic and sustainable information society, have not been given serious consideration. We have two overarching concerns: - Although the principles of the UDHR and the Millenium Development Declaration are referred to prominently at the start of the Declaration, subsequent paragraphs do not demonstrate genuine commitment to upholding these principles in the realization of an Information Society. Existing rights, such as Article 19, should be quoted fully and affirmed rather than cut up in pieces according to individual country preferences. - Some core concerns have been formulated in ways that fundamentally alter their meaning, whilst others raised by civil society over the past 18 months have been removed. Specifically: 1. Community media as a concept is missing from the document. This indicates a complete disregard of the value of such alternative media in promoting public participation and strengthening cultural and linguistic diversity. 2. Literacy, education and research - fundamental components of the information and knowledge society cannot be confined to one section of capacity building. Universal education is a key principle for building a participative society. 3. Capacity Building must include not only skills to use ICT`s but also include skills for creating, innovating and enabling active citizenship. It should also recognize fundamental rights in the workplace and core labour standards for all who work in the Information Society. 4. The value and benefits of Free and Open Source Software are not adequately recognized nor promoted in this document, thus undermining their real potential. These extend far beyond the concept of affordability. 5. The section on Enabling Environment speaks of a regulatory and legislative environment that reinforces the advancement of a market-driven industry at the expense of the citizenry. 6. The reference to Intellectual Property Rights manipulates the notion of fair balance. It threatens innovation, the public domain, and citizens rights and promotes the further concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the resource rich. Legal environments and economic means should be setup for Public libraries, schools and universities in order to enrich the public domain and facilitate the free and open circulation of scientific publications. 7. The role of civil society in relation to Internet governance, is completely negated whilst increased powers of control are extended to governments and the private sector. 8. Discussions in relation to Building Confidence, Trust and Security have shifted to a highly politicized agenda, characterized by language referring to the integrity of the military field and the use of information resources for criminal and terrorist purposes. This is at the expense of citizen's rights including freedom of association, movement, expression, and privacy. 9. References to women still fail to recognize them as key actors in building an information society. The Declaration must avoid language that couches women as 'wards' and must focus on the importance of women as primary change agents. 10. In addition, references to the role of the Information Society in ensuring the furthering of commitments made in previous UN conferences are given little, if any, mention in this document. The document as it currently stands reinforces the unequal balance of powers and of development between and within nations, rather than redressing it. We demand that governments maintain a strong human development focus and prevent the growing control of international governance processes by market-led forces. This is not a document that Civil society can endorse and we question the degree of support that will emerge amongst all stakeholders. As it stands, the current document will only succeed in reaching a consensus amongst the elite. Prepared by the Civil Society Content and Themes group, mandated by the Civil Society Plenary on 22nd September. Civil Society priorities document mboom.draper.albany.edu/~mciver/WSIS/Drafting/ Pre-PrepCom3/WSIS-CS-CT-Prio- 083003-en.pdf or www.worldsummit2003.de/download_en/ WSIS-CS-CT-Prio-080303-en.rtf Response to Draft Declaration (Samassekou non-paper) http://www.worldsummit2003.de/download_en/comments-on-nonpaper-30-10-2003- final.rtf ---------------------------------------------------------- steve@commedia.org.uk ---------------------------------------------------------- Visit the Community Media Association! http://www.commedia.org.uk ---------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Ct mailing list Ct@wsis-cs.org http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ct Civil Society Plenary: http://www.wsis-cs.org/ Content & Themes Documents: http://bscw.fit.fraunhofer.de/pub/bscw.cgi/0/429537981009_2.txt (attatchment)(tag is disabled)