[WSIS CS-Plenary] By end June 17th: Endorsement: OECD Civil Society Declaration

[Ezendu Ariwa]

Dear Karen

Thanks

I am happy to endorse the OECD CS Declaration

Ezendu
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> _______________________________________
>
> hi everyone
>
> *** Organisations are invited to endorse the OECD CS Declaration (see
> below) - some of you would have been involved in the drafting on the
> publically accessible Public Voice Coalition list..
>
> if any would like to endorse, please let me know by the end of the
> day (offlist) . I am sorry for the short notice but the declaration
> was only finalised yesterday. ***
>
> ====
>
> the statement is in pdf format here:
> http://thepublicvoice.org/events/seoul08/seoul-declaration.pdf
>
> and in text below..
>
> thanks a lot
>
> karen
> ====
>
> June 2008 1 "The Civil Society-TUAC Seoul Declaration"
>
> CIVIL SOCIETY - TUAC
>
> "THE SEOUL DECLARATION" TO THE OECD MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE
> FUTURE OF THE INTERNET ECONOMY
>
> Seoul, Korea
>
> 16 June 2008
>
> This gathering of civil society organizations and organized labor at
> the OECD Ministerial Conference on the Future of the Internet Economy
> provides a unique opportunity to bring to the attention of the OECD
> Ministers assembled and the OECD member countries the concerns and
> aspirations of people around the globe, those who are on the Internet
> and those who are not. We thank the OECD and the Government of Korea
> for the opportunity to organize a civil society and labor event and
> to participate in the OECD Ministerial Conference. Civil society and
> labor together prepared a paper for the OECD and organized a
> conference "Making the future of the Internet work for citizens,
> consumers and workers." A wide range of organizations participated in
> this effort, and this Declaration builds on its results.
>
> A BROAD FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET ECONOMY
>
> The policy goals for the Future Internet Economy should be considered
> within the broader framework of protection of human rights, the
> promotion of democratic institutions, access to information, and the
> provision of affordable and non-discriminatory access to advanced
> communication networks and services. Compliance with international
> human rights standards and respect for the rule of law, as well as
> effective human rights protection, must be the baseline for assessing
> global information society policies. Economic growth should be for
> the many and not the few. The Internet should be available to all. We
> therefore call attention of the OECD to Ministers to the following
> issues and we make the following recommendations:
>
> * Freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is being violated
> around the globe by state censorship and by more subtle measures such
> as content filtering, privatized censorship and restrictions on
> so-called "harmful content." We urge the OECD to defend freedom of
> expression and to oppose mandated filtering, censorship of Internet
> content, and criminalization of content
> that is protected under international freedom of expression standards.
>
> * Protection of Privacy and Transparency, We reaffirm our support for
> the OECD Privacy Guidelines as a fundamental policy instrument
> setting out minimal requirements for the transborder flow of personal
> data. We recommend adoption of the recent policy guidance on RFID and
> Online Identity Theft as Council Recommendations. We call on OECD
> countries to adopt and enforce data protection laws covering all
> sectors, both online and offline, and to establish international data
> protection standards that are legally enforceable. We further urge
> member states to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability
> for all data processing for border security, identification, and
> decision-making concerning individuals.
>
> * Consumer Protection. Trust and confidence are critical to the
> success of the Internet economy. The OECD should ensure that consumer
> protection laws are properly enforced and cover digital products to
> the same extent that other consumer goods and services are covered.
> We recommend that the OECD adopt the policy proposals on Empowering
> Consumers in  communications Services and in Mobile Commerce as
> Council Recommendations, and that the OECD member countries implement
> these recommendations. We support the OECD's efforts to facilitate
> crossborder enforcement of anti-spam laws and to develop effective
> online dispute resolution mechanisms.
>
> * Employment, Decent Work and Skills. We recommend that OECD Member
> countries promote learning and training pportunities for workers and
> address the technological and organizationalchange in the workplace.
> We further urge the OECD to lower the carbon footprint of the ICT
> industry and to promote compliance with core labor standards and the
> OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
>
> * Promotion of Access to Knowledge. We support open access to
> government-funded scientific and scholarly works and endorse the OECD
> Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data. We support the
> OECD Recommendation for Enhanced Access and More Effective Use of
> Public Information. OECD countries should oppose extensions of
> copyright terms and private ownership of essential knowledge and
> cultural information that can be made available on the Internet. We
> recommend that the OECD undertake a study on the importance of
> copyright exceptions for education, libraries and archives, the
> disability community, and new innovative services.
>
> * Internet Governance. Internet governance structures should reflect
> democratic values and be transparent and publicly  accountable to
> users. Global Internet policymaking should involve equal
> participation of all people, countries, and stakeholders. We call
> upon the OECD member states to support the Internet Governance Forum
> and to promote the multi-stakeholder process of the World Summit on
> the Information Society.
>
> * Promotion of Open Standards and Net Neutrality. Standards-making
> processes should be open and should encourage competition. This
> promotes innovation and development. We support the procurement
> policies that promote open standards, open data formats, and free and
> open software. We further recommend that the OECD Member Countries
> oppose discrimination by network providers against particular
> applications, devices, or content and preserve the Internet's role in
> fostering innovation, economic growth, and democratic communication.
>
> * Balanced Intellectual Property Policies. We urge the OECD member
> countries to maintain a balanced framework for intellectual property
> protection that is least intrusive to personal privacy, least
> restrictive for the development of new technologies, and that
> promotes creativity, innovation, and learning. We support the OECD
> Policy Guidance for Digital Content. OECD countries should oppose
> proposals that would deny individuals access to all Internet services
> and opportunities based on alleged copyright  infringement. We are
> also concerned about the secrecy of the "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
> Agreement" (ACTA) treaty process and the possibility of policies that
> may limit legitimate business activity, the participative web, and
> e-government service delivery.
>
> * Support for Pluralistic Media. The Internet is a universal platform
> for innovation, growth, and the ability of people to express and
> share their views. New forms of media and new applications are
> emerging that challenge old paradigms and enable broader public
> participation. At the same June 2008 3 "The Civil Society-TUAC Seoul
> Declaration" time, dominant Internet firms are moving to consolidate
> their control over the Internet. It is vitally important for the OECD
> to develop a better understanding of the challenge industry
> consolidations pose to the open Internet. The OECD Policy Guidance on
> Convergence and Next Generation Networks provides a basis this work.
>
> * Inclusive Digital Society. The Internet should be accessible to
> all. OECD member countries should ensure that all residents have the
> means to access the Internet and should provide public Internet
> access, training and support. Particular attention should be paid to
> rural, remote and aboriginal populations, as well as the disability
> community.
>
> * Cultural Diversity. We support the efforts of the OECD to promote
> access to the full range of the world's cultures and to ensure that
> the Internet economy reflects the true diversity of language, art,
> science, and literature in our world. The deployment of International
> Domain Names should be a priority.
>
> PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND LABOUR
>
> This participation of civil society and organized labor reaffirms the
> role of all stakeholders in the Future of the Internet Economy. Now
> it is time to formalize this process. In 1998 civil society and labor
> urged the OECD Ministerial Conference in Ottawa to establish an
> Advisory Council, similar to the Business Industry Advisory Committee
> (BIAC) for business and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) for
> labor. We said that this new Advisory Council should include civil
> society groups in such fields as human rights and democracy, privacy
> and data protection, consumer protection, and access to information
> and knowledge.
>
> We urge the OECD to establish now the Civil Society Advisory
> Committee. The creation of an OECD Civil Society Advisory Committee
> is necessary to help realize the democratic goals of inclusion,
> participation, transparency and accountability at the OECD.
>
> The OECD offers an important forum for the discussion of policies
> concerning the future of the Internet. We welcome this dialogue and
> urge the Ministers and members countries of the OECD to fully engage
> civil society and labor organizations within their own countries. In
> all decisions related to the Internet economy, we advise the OECD
> Ministers and the members countries to give particular attention to
> those indicators concerning literacy, education, and health. The
> success of the Internet Economy should be measured by the well-being
> of citizens, and not simply the extent of technology diffusion.
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Ezendu Ariwa
BITM Programme and Pathway Leader
Senior Lecturer - Strategic Information Systems
Business Analysis, Information Systems, Transport and Logistics Subject Group
London Metropolitan Business School
London Metropolitan University
277-281 Holloway Road
London N7 8HN
United Kingdom

Tel: 02071333945
Fax: 02071333899
Email: e.ariwa at londonmet.ac.uk



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