[IRP] FW: APC Statement of Support for An Expert Panel on Freedom of Expression and the Internet at the UN HRC

Thu Sep 15 15:46:41 EEST 2011

agree,

thank you.

Adam

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>Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
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>Dear IRPers ? let?s endorse this Statement ?by 
>APC supporting the Swedish government proposal 
>for an expert panel on freedom of expression and 
>the Internet at the UN!
>Please say if you agree or not,
>Thanks, Dixie
>
>From: henrik.almstrom at gmail.com 
>[mailto:henrik.almstrom at gmail.com] On Behalf Of 
>Henrik Almstr?m APC
>Sent: 14 September 2011 19:42
>To: afapredesa2 at yahoo.org; fouadbajwa at gmail.com; 
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>onvginebra at mmrree.gov.ec; sza at eda.admin.ch; 
>vrho85 at gmx.de; katyn.fokin at forman.fi; 
>fungaijames at gmail.com; Dixie Hawtin; Rebecca 
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>Cc: Joy Liddicoat; Anriette Esterhuysen; Valeria 
>Betancourt; Karen Higgs; Grady Johnson; Johan 
>Hallenborg; 
>irina.schoulgin-nyoni at foreign.ministry.se
>Subject: APC Statement of Support for An Expert 
>Panel on Freedom of Expression and the Internet 
>at the UN HRC
>
>Dear all,
>
>Following the activities during the HRC 17 in 
>June, including the APC parallel event on Frank 
>La Rue's report and the 
>c<http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/14186/a/170565>ross-regional 
>Statement by Sweden, we are now excited to 
>inform you about the most recent developments on 
>the subject:
>
>*** Swedish Government will during the current 
>HRC session propose an expert panel to be 
>convened at the next session (HRC19). APC is 
>issuing the statement below to support this 
>proposal and we hope you are interested in 
>endorsing this statement to support this 
>important process. ***
>
>Please find the statement online at 
><http://rights.apc.org>http://rights.apc.org, 
>where you will also find APCs other work on 
>Internet Rights.
>
>Kind regards
>Henrik Almstrom and the internet Rights team at APC
>
>
>
>*************
>NO EMBARGO
>
>
>APC STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR AN EXPERT PANEL ON 
>FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE INTERNET AT THE UN
>
>JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (APC) Wednesday 
>September 14 -- At this extraordinary time for 
>human rights, social media and the internet, we 
>strongly endorse the proposal of the Swedish 
>Government for an expert panel on the promotion 
>and protection of freedom of expression on the 
>internet ?to be convened at the 19th Session of 
>the Human Rights Council.
>
>We call on all UN Member States to support this initiative.
>
>Following the annual report of the Special 
>Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion 
>and Expression at the 17th Session of the Human 
>Rights Council, forty governments affirmed that 
>the same human rights that apply offline, also 
>apply online, to the internet and social media. 
>Those governments stated that ?Only in a few 
>exceptional and limited circumstances can 
>restrictions on content be acceptable. Such 
>restrictions must comply with international 
>human rights law, notably Article 19 of the 
>ICCPR.?
>
>APC agrees that international human rights 
>standards are the foundation for all States to 
>respect, protect and promote human rights. These 
>standards must apply to new technologies, 
>including social media and the internet which 
>are used by billions of people around the globe. 
>The interface of human rights and the internet 
>is a new issue for the Human Rights Council, but 
>one that is quickly emerging in multiple areas. 
>The Council?s recently released General Comment 
>No. 34 on Article 19 of the International 
>Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 
>includes specific reference to the internet in 
>the context of freedom of expression.
>
>To be effective, the proposed panel must be 
>constituted through an open process and ensure 
>the engagement of all, particularly vulnerable 
>and marginalised groups, in accordance with the 
>rights based approach and principles of 
>multi-stakeholder participation, 
>information-sharing, participation and 
>transparency.
>
>There is a clear need for a process through 
>which the Council can consider these issues 
>across its mandate. The consideration of human 
>rights online must be institutionalised if it is 
>to be effective. ?An expert panel will start the 
>necessary dialogue in the HRC which we believe 
>should eventually extend beyond freedom of 
>expression to include all human rights, civil 
>and political as well as cultural, social and 
>economic rights.
>============================
>The Association for Progressive Communications 
>(APC) is an international network and non-profit 
>organisation founded in 1990 that wants everyone 
>to have access to a free and open internet to 
>improve lives and create a more just 
>world.?<http://www.apc.org/>www.apc.org
>
>If you wish to endorse this statement please 
>send your name and organisation (if applicable) 
>to?<mailto:grady at apc.org>grady at apc.org?with 
>?Endorsement? in the subject line.
>
>END
>****************
>
>
>--
>Henrik Almstr?m
>Association for Progressive Communications, APC
>Johannesburg, South Africa
><http://www.apc.org>www.apc.org
>skype:?henrikalmstrom
><mailto:henrik at apc.org>henrik at apc.org
>mobile: +27 72 311 9613
>
>
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