[IRP] [charter] right to life liberty and security of person---relevant for internet governance

[Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond]

Re: [IRP] [charter] right to life liberty and security of person--- relevant for internet governanceHello Lisa,

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lisa Horner 
  To: Emily Laidlaw ; shaila mistry 
  Cc: IRP 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 10:36 AM
  Subject: Re: [IRP] [charter] right to life liberty and security of person---relevant for internet governance


  Hi

  I feel quite strongly that we can't talk about a right to the internet at this stage.  Maybe we can use a strong version of this charter as a basis for discussion about it a little later down the line.  I'd really like to try and convene focused discussions about sections of the charter and issues it's raised at some point, maybe next year once we've got a solid draft in place. But at the moment we're going to turn a large propotion of the human rights community off the document if we include new rights like that.

I think that there is a confusion about what consitutes a "right to the internet" and it is being amalgamated with the rights of expression etc.
Whilst not pushing in one direction or another wrt inclusion or non-inclusion of this in the Charter, I note that many governments are putting essential citizen services online, in order to help citizens perform routine tasks more efficiently. Services like renewing ID cards, obtaining a birth certificate, paying taxes etc.
What is not being said is that this setting up of new online services is having a detrimental effect with conventional services. It is getting increasingly hard to deal with paperwork by going physically to the administration involved. Writing conventional letters prompts an extended reply period. Obtaining someone on the telephone subjects you to extended waiting time with automated menus making you go around and around - and we are constantly reminded to save ourselves from the wait by performing our request online. This is caused by a reduction of employees performing those very tasks.

What I am trying to say is that in Western countries, we are witnessing the emergence of a dual-class system where those with Internet access will soon have a significant advantage over those without. The Internet is becoming central to our lives, and those without Internet access will be 2nd class citizens.

Bearing this in mind, should everybody have a right to the Internet?

Warm regards,

Olivier

-- 
Olivier MJ Cr?pin-Leblond, PhD
http://www.gih.com/ocl.html
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