[IRPCoalition] IRP in 2014

Marianne Franklin m.i.franklin at gold.ac.uk
Tue Jan 7 12:02:24 EET 2014 

Dear Shawna and Deborah, and all

+1 to Deborah's forwarding of the very useful and informative overview 
that Carolina Rossini and colleagues have done on work achieved so far.

Shawna, my proposing that the IRP Charter can be used as a fuller 
template was not to suggest one initiative over another precisely 
because the IRP Charter is the result of just this sort of 
collaboration. The outcome of a cross-sector achievement in which CSO's 
played no small part. I was proposing this in the spirit of 
collaboration and historical context as we all agree that going over 
well-ploughed ground would uproot all the seeds already sown, and taking 
root.

A full charter of rights and principles such as the IRP Charter based on 
the UDHR and other international law is quite distinct from the exercise 
of distilling a range of principles into one list. This is a more 
high-level, abstract exercise that arguably takes the pressure off 
actors (govn's and private sector) from having to commit to more 
specific and comprehensive obligations by law, or by mutual consent. So 
here Wolfgang's point about political possibility (i.e. the more 
abstract said principles the better) is well taken. However, this is the 
moment to support the pioneering work of not only the IRP Coalition as a 
whole but the constituent organizations and looser networks of groups 
and individuals that contributed to the Charter in substantive terms.

For the Brazil meeting then and moving forward from the recognition of 
human rights at the IGF in Bali as integral to internet governance, what 
criteria will all parties need to agree to before coming up with a 
combined set of principles? And where do such principles take us all 
from there? The answer to these questions lies precisely in the fact 
that there is an 80% overlap of *principles* already on record. So, this 
is the place to start, not the endgame for the work has been done 
already, several times over in fact given the precursor initiatives 
(e.g. the CRIS campaign, APC internet rights campaign, womens internet 
rights campaign, 13 Principles, and so on) and also with the Brazilian 
Marco Civil (and its 10 principles) being a core initiative from the 
host country.

Nonetheless, principles are abstract and the IRP Charter although still 
quite high level goes further by incorporating the full spectrum of 
human rights law with respect to the internet. Also, to note, as opposed 
to other documents with the title of "principles", the IRP 10 Principles 
are distilled from the fuller Charter, not the other way around. The 
Charter in this sense is an encapsulation of prescient work from a 
landmark collaboration, not a separate initiative claiming turf over 
others.  As an outcome "avant la lettre" so to speak and in the current 
international mood since Snowden, it is also the framework document for 
past, present, and future global compacts around principles as intended.

These thoughts are my own after some years observing and taking part in 
these crosscutting discussions, and seeing how collaboration can and 
does work. In short, if the outcome of the Brazil meeting is to 
recognize that 80% of like-minded principles can be gathered into one 
meta-set, that in turn can be linked to existing and burgeoning 
international human rights law for the online environment then I would 
argue that this outcome for Brazil has more or less been achieved. And 
for this we should all take some credit.

I hope that clarifies the intent of my original message.

best
MF


On 07/01/2014 01:03, Deborah Brown wrote:
> Happy new year to all and welcome to IRP's new leadership.
>
> Just a quick note to follow on Shawna's message.
>
>     <snip>
>
>     While the IRP Charter is a robust starting point for a global
>     multi-stakeholder principles on IG, it would be great to map the 80%
>     overlap in recent principles (if Wolfgang has not already done so),
>     and work with our networks and communities to articulate shared
>     language based on that framework.
>
> Great idea. In the interest of not reinventing the wheel, I wanted to 
> share a very useful and relevant resource that Carolina Rossini and 
> Jeonghyun Baak worked on (attached), which compares a number of 
> existing principles and statements from different stakeholders based 
> on issue areas. I'm not sure how their research relates to the 80% of 
> overlap that Wolfgang cites, but I thought to share it here in case 
> it's of interest.
>
> Kind regards,
> Deborah
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 5:17 PM, Shawna Finnegan <shawna at apc.org 
> <mailto:shawna at apc.org>> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Happy new year, and welcome to the new co-Chair and Steering committee
> members!
>
> Marianne, thanks for this email. Wolfgang's post is a fantastic
> orientation for the upcoming year.
>
> I completely agree that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The
> fact that 80% of principles in recent declarations on IG are the same,
> according to Wolfgang, suggests that we are very much on the right
> track. Continuing down that track, I think prioritizing one charter or
> declaration over others in developing a global set of principles might
> undermine the collaborative process.
>
> While the IRP Charter is a robust starting point for a global
> multi-stakeholder principles on IG, it would be great to map the 80%
> overlap in recent principles (if Wolfgang has not already done so),
> and work with our networks and communities to articulate shared
> language based on that framework.
>
> Looking forward to others' thoughts,
>
> Shawna
>
> On 14-01-02 05:25 AM, Marianne Franklin wrote:
> > Apologies for a double-mailing but should have sent the message
> > below under a new message heading. On 02/01/2014 12:21, Marianne
> > Franklin wrote:
> >> Dear all
> >>
> >> Happy 2014. Thank you Olivier for the positive vibes this early
> >> in the year too.
> >>
> >> As preparations for the Brazil Meeting in April gather steam, a
> >> main agenda item and output is now clear; to produce a "global"
> >> set of Internet Governance principles.
> >>
> >> Wolfgang Kleinwaechter, who has been undertaking a survey of all
> >> existing statements around IG Principles including those that
> >> include human rights and principles, has provided one
> >> comprehensive review of the year past and the year ahead in this
> >> respect (
> >>
> >> 
> http://www.circleid.com/posts/20131231_internet_governance_outlook_2014_good_news_bad_news_no_news/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> At the end of this analysis, Wolfgang makes the following comment
> >> about the leading role the UDHR played historically in setting
> >> the frame for subsequent international human rights law: that it
> >> "would be good to have a similar document for the Internet,
> >> supported not only by the governments of the 193 UN member states
> >> but also by all the non-governmental stakeholders from the
> >> private sector as Google and Facebook, the technical community as
> >> ICANN and the IETF and civil society as APC and Human Rights
> >> Watch."
> >>
> >> Point taken but for the fact that the IRP Charter already exists
> >> in this capacity. Its 21 clauses are explicitly - and elegantly
> >> - embedded in the UDHR and these subsequent treaties. It was the
> >> product of collaborative work, within the IGF setting to be sure,
> >> of individuals and organizations all mentioned in this comment.
> >> Government reps and IGO reps have been active as well in the
> >> Charter work. Endorsements by a range of actors are currently
> >> being gathered as the 2nd Edition of the Charter Booklet is ready
> >> to go public. We also have several translations in process so
> >> here there is a grassroots support level for the work.
> >>
> >> But, Brazil is a so-called high level meeting and its outcomes
> >> will be symbolic and perhaps groundbreaking from an
> >> inter-governmental point of view (perhaps not but that remains to
> >> be seen). With more and more support for a human-rights based
> >> approach to IG in the wake of the Snowden revelations, it appears
> >> that we could be facing the embedding of a disconnect between
> >> this shift in mood, one that underscores the IRP Charter project
> >> after-the-fact, and the fact that these calls since Snowden are
> >> already encapsulated by the IRP Charter in its entirety.
> >>
> >> Given this recognition that human rights online do matter
> >> (underscored too by initiatives such as the 13 Principles by PI,
> >> EFF, Access et al) do need protecting, what remains to be seen is
> >> whether all those concerned with making Brazil a success and
> >> based on the good parts of the IGF working model, the IRP Charter
> >> can be taken on board in a more explicit capacity. By this I mean
> >> that it is the document that is adopted and recognized in the
> >> fullest sense of the term ("legally non-binding high level
> >> principles"). This is because the IRP Charter remains the one
> >> document that already complies with these calls; from within the
> >> IGF community and further abroad in the UN, and technical
> >> community where high profile figures such as Tim Berners-Lee are
> >> calling for a global Bill of Digital Rights.
> >>
> >> It would be a shame, and a mistake to my mind, for us to not to
> >> make use of the same sort of collaborative and creative energy
> >> within this list alone, and links to wider networks to promote
> >> the Charter for this role whilst supporting the Brazil Meeting
> >> aim to generate a broad sort of global consensus. We do not need
> >> to re-reinvent the wheel here.
> >>
> >> What do people think? best MF
> >>
> >>
> >> On 01/01/2014 18:39, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond wrote:
> >>> Thanks for these excellent news!
> >>>
> >>> I am thrilled to see such talent leading the IRP. May it go
> >>> from strength to strength! Best wishes to you all for 2014.
> >>>
> >>> Olivier
> >>>
> >>> On 24/12/2013 17:54, IRPCoalition wrote:
> >>>> Dear all
> >>>>
> >>>> The election/endorsement process for the IRP Coalition's
> >>>> Steering Committee is over (37 people took part with 86.5%
> >>>> support, 5.4% against, and 8.1% abstaining). Thank you for
> >>>> the positive comments about all we have achieved this year
> >>>> and also for the constructive suggestions for the year to
> >>>> come. The new SC met last week so this email is to formally
> >>>> re-introduce everyone to you all.
> >>>>
> >>>> First up, our incoming co-Chair who will be serving with
> >>>> Marianne this year. Robert has worked with the IRP since
> >>>> 2008, seeing the first charter through, setting up and then
> >>>> assisting with the website and social media efforts, and also
> >>>> supporting IRP events at the IGF meetings. After being on the
> >>>> steering committee for the last few years, championing the
> >>>> IRP in all capacities, he is happy to provide continuity and
> >>>> support as co-chair of the IRP. Robert is excited about
> >>>> growing participation in the coalition, ramping up
> >>>> dissemination of the Charter in different engaging formats
> >>>> (socio-technical, educational), and exploring new ways of
> >>>> integrating Human Rights in Internet Governance at all
> >>>> levels. This work complements his teaching and research as an
> >>>> engaged academic.
> >>>>
> >>>> Next here are the SC members for 2014 (bio notes will be up
> >>>> on the website shortly):
> >>>>
> >>>> Co-Chairs Marianne Franklin (New Zealand/UK) Robert Bodle
> >>>> (USA)
> >>>>
> >>>> Steering Committee Rafik Dammak (Tunisia/Japan) Catherine
> >>>> Easton (UK) Dixie Hawtin (UK) Matthias Kettemann (Austria)
> >>>> Parminder Jeet Singh (India) Carlos Affonso Pereira de Souza
> >>>> (Brazil) Vik Szabados (Hungary) Tapani Tarvainen (Finland)
> >>>>
> >>>> We are all looking forward to a productive year for the
> >>>> protection and enjoyment of human rights online - for
> >>>> everyone, everywhere.
> >>>>
> >>>> Warm regards MF/RB and the whole SC
> >>>>
> >>>> www.internetrightsandprinciples.org 
> <http://www.internetrightsandprinciples.org>
> >>>> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/dynamiccoalitions/72-ibr
> >>>> @netrights
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________ IRP mailing
> >>>> list IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org 
> <mailto:IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org>
> >>>> 
> http://lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/irp
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>>
> _______________________________________________
> >>> IRP mailing listIRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org 
> <mailto:IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org>
> >>> 
> http://lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/irp
> >>>
> >>
>
>     _______________________________________________
>     IRP mailing list
> IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org 
> <mailto:IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org>
> http://lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/irp
>
> -- 
> Deborah Brown
> Senior Policy Analyst
> Access | accessnow.org <http://accessnow.org>
> rightscon.org <http://rightscon.org>
>
> @deblebrown
> PGP 0x5EB4727D
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> IRP mailing list
> IRP at lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org
> http://lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/irp

-- 
Dr Marianne Franklin
Professor of Global Media and Politics
Convener: Global Media & Transnational Communications Program
Goldsmiths (University of London)
Department of Media & Communications
New Cross, London SE14 6NW
Tel: +44 20 7919 7072
<m.i.franklin at gold.ac.uk>
@GloComm
https://twitter.com/GloComm
http://www.gold.ac.uk/media-communications/staff/franklin/
https://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-global-media-transnational-communications/
Co-Chair Internet Rights & Principles Coalition (UN IGF)
www.internetrightsandprinciples.org
@netrights

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.internetrightsandprinciples.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/irp/attachments/20140107/4a47c8c1/attachment.html>

More information about the IRP mailing list