[Chapter-delegates] China's remarks to the UN Human Rights Council panel on freedom of expression and the Internet

[kummer at isoc.org]

To those of you who followed the UN Human Rights Council, this link to an article in IP watch may be of interest:

http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/02/29/un-human-rights-council-rallies-on-right-to-internet-freedom-of-express

The article paints a fairly accurate picture of the atmosphere of the debate, which was very formal with a strong emphasis on arcane procedural aspects. The reporter gives some space to the ISOC statement, which he apparently liked. Our statement was one of only four interventions by non-governmental actors. Otherwise, the debate was very much among government representatives. As not all of the governments who asked for the floor were given the opportunity to speak, they questioned the procedures applied to the debate (obviously resenting the fact that some non-government representatives were able to speak.) All in all, a far cry from the usual multistakeholder setting we are accustomed to and a reminder how important it is to preserve and enhance the multistakeholder approach!

Best regards
Markus

 
On Mar 1, 2012, at 7:35 PM, President ISOC-KH wrote:

A video from the UN Human Rights Council, dealing with the freedom of expression on the Internet, provides important material for the ISOC leadership preparing the Geneva meetings.

I share the opinion of Klaus in his recent mail: "Some consider it essential to have ISOC represented on the opening panel. You might want to answer to this."

A concept paper for this UN meeting had signaled the scope of the Panel, saying at the outset:

= = =
“Panel discussion on the right to freedom of expression on the Internet

In its decision 18/27, adopted in September 2011, the Human Rights Council decided “to convene, within existing resources, at its nineteenth session, a panel discussion on the promotion and protection of freedom of expression on the Internet, with a particular focus on the ways and means to improve its protection in accordance with international human rights law.”
= = =

The following is the video provided - not only focused on the "promotion and protection of freedom of expression on the Internet":

http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2012/02/china-panel-on-right-to-freedom-of-expression-19th-session-human-rights-council.html

And this statement was made also on behalf of Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, DPRK, Ethiopia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritania, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

This interesting list contains also Cambodia. When the discussion about the opening panel at the ISOC conference started, I had asked for help from the organizers to explain the list of panelists here - with China present but not ISOC leadership. - To ask this question did of course not imply to disagree with the participation of a high level Chinese speaker. I have not received a response to my question so far (and also not to several others), but the statements at the Human Rights Council - including in the name of Cambodia - motivate me to repeat my question.


Norbert






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