[WSIS CS-Plenary] Evidence of infringement of Human Rights at PrepCom1

[Ronald Koven]

Dear All -- 

The discussions of governments to move WSIS II elsewhere are long overdue.

Press freedom groups have been arguing along that the choice of Tuunisia
was a serious mistake.

Tunisian comportment, as described in today's various messages, only serve
to confirm what we strongly apprehended all along -- that Tunisan GONGOs
would prevent free discussion. Those who thought the contrary might have
considered that Tunisan sense of enlightened self-interest would prevail,
that they would be eager to show themselves capable of organizing a
normally consensual meeting, with give and take.  But those of us who have
already suffered Tunisian GONGO slings and arrows during the Geneva
meetiings are unfortunately being proven right.

Civil Society groups should now rally to the call already made by press
freedom NGOs to Kofi Annan to use his influence to move WSIS II or cancel
it altogether.

Alternatives are Geneva, another African location like Dakar, Senegal, or
UN Headquarters in NY -- a neutral location.

When the idea was broached in the past to Annan's people, they insisted
they could not take it upon themselves to change a UN General Assembly
decision to go to Tunis. Now, that argument can be answered with the
finding that the Tunisian authorities prove themselves incapable of
conducting a calm, businesslike meeting in which all sides can be heard,
that they mean to use sheer local numbers to overwhelm outside participants
and those who represent independent Tunisian Civil Society organizations.

If this is said forcefully, unanimously enough, it might eventually be
heard at UN headquarters,

An argument against moving it was that an African country should be allowed
the opportunity it could provide the platform for such a meeting. There are
undoubtedly a number of African countries of which this is so. But Tunisia
is clearly demonstrating that it is not one of them.

Ronald Koven
European Representative, World Press Freedom Committee