The International Council on Human Rights Policy have published a draft report named The Widening Web of Control: A Human Rights Analysis of Public Policy Responses to Crime, Social Problems and Deviance, which is available for comments and review. The multidisciplinary project involved research in five different policy areas: public health/infectious diseases control; city and urban poor; punishment and incarceration; policing and surveillance; controls over migrant and non-citizens.
An open consultation to discuss the agenda of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Vilnius was held in Geneva, Switzerland on February 9, 2010. During the consultation, a discussion on the desirability of the continuation of the IGF was introduced by Patrick Spearing from the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA). UNDESA is the Secretariat department having responsibility for the report containing the recommendations of the Secretary-General on the desirability of continuation of the forum.
Mr Spearing recalled that "the forum was established by an UN General Assembly decision on the basis of the Tunis Agenda," and that "it will be the United Nations membership that determines whether or not to support its continuation." Mr Spearing further stressed that, "in order for the General Assembly to consider the recommendations of the Secretary-General, the report of the Secretary-General containing those recommendations must be submitted to the UN General Assembly at the 65th session later in 2010." Mr. Spearing also noted that the United Nations Economic and Social Council "has primary responsibility for relations among development actors and has a mechanism for consultation with nongovernmental organizations."
Continue reading "IGF 2010 First Round Meeting" »
The 2010 European Civil Society Award Results
The European Association for the Defense of Human Rights and EDRI presented the first European Civil Society Data Protection Award to "PER.SONN.ES (in French), or FAKEFRIENDS.ME (in English). "Per.sonn.es / Fakefriends.me [is] an original and positive initiative contributing to the visibility and effectiveness of the right to privacy by raising awareness and helping to build conscious critical thinking," the Jury noted. The Jury was conformed by Pierre Barge (AEDH), Emilie Barrau (BEUC), Aleksejs Dimitrovs (AEDH), Serge Gutwirth (LSTS/VUB), Paul de Hert (LSTS/VUB), Andreas Krisch (EDRI), Meryem Marzouki (EDRI), Yves Poullet (CRID), and Daniel Retureau (EESC).
ACT NOW: Save the Independent Media in South Korea
MediAct is a communication media training and education center based in South Korea. MediAct has played a critical role to support the independent film and video production, the citizens' media monitoring movement, and the trade union movement in that country since the 1980s. However, in the past two years, the media landscape and culture sector has undergone some drastic changes under the Lee Myung-bak regime.
Now MediAct is facing the crisis of shut down with the massive and target-oriented budget cutting by Korean government. Support MediAct - Sign the Petition. For more information: MediAct Facebook Group, APC: Support for MediAct, Public Media Center in South Korea.
Stop Digital Strip Searches in airports!
The supporters of the Madrid Declaration are calling on national governments to suspend the deployment of body scanners until a full evaluation of the technology is completed. The Madrid Privacy Declaration has been signed by more than 200 privacy and consumer experts and organizations around the globe. For more information, see The Public Voice: Stop Digital Strip Searches, The Public Voice: The Madrid Declaration, and FB Group: Stop Airport Strip Searches.
Privacy International responds to the EU Consultation on Personal Data Protection
From July 2009 until December 31, 2009, the European Commission held a consultation on the legal framework for the fundamental right to protection of personal data. The objective of the consultation was to obtain views on the new challenges for personal data protection in order to maintain an effective and comprehensive legal framework to protect individual’s personal data within the European Union. Privacy International has responded to the European Commission's consultation highlighting its vitally support to the Directive and how it has indeed provided Europe, and the world, with a benchmark for privacy protection. PI's responds is available here.
Act Now - Take the Survey: Say NO to Biometric Identifiers
The Consumer Travel Alliance is conducting a survey of travelers attitudes toward biometric screening. This includes fingerprinting, photographs and iris scans. It will mean more time passing through international borders and require visitors to share far more information than before with border control agents. Take the survey and say NO to biometric Identifiers!
The Civil Society Madrid Privacy Declaration signed by more than 300 non for profit organizations, individuals and expert around the world called for a moratorium on the development of the implementation of new systems of mass surveillance, like "biometric identifiers." Sign now the Madrid Privacy Declaration.
International Human Rights Day 2009
It is our duty to ensure that these rights are a living reality -- that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists -- and that it exists for them.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
On the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Public Voice coalition calls on people around the world to sign the Civil Society Madrid Declaration. The Madrid Declaration affirms "that privacy is a fundamental human right set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other human rights instruments and national constitutions;" reminds "all countries of their obligations to safeguard the human rights of their citizens and residents." The Madrid Declaration warns that "privacy law and privacy institutions have failed to take full account of new surveillance practices." The Declaration urges countries "that have not yet established a comprehensive framework for privacy protection and an independent data protection authority to do so as expeditiously as possible."
Please, celebrate human rights day today, and spread the word of the campaign!
In a crisply worded declaration, over 100 civil society organizations and privacy experts from more than 40 countries have set out an expansive statement on the future of privacy. The Madrid Declaration affirms that privacy is a fundamental human right and reminds "all countries of their obligations to safeguard the civil rights of their citizens and residents." The Madrid Declaration warns that "privacy law and privacy institutions have failed to take full account of new surveillance practices." The Declaration urges countries "that have not yet established a comprehensive framework for privacy protection and an independent data protection authority to do so as expeditiously as possible." The civil society groups and experts recommend a "moratorium on the development or implementation of new systems of mass surveillance." Finally, the Declaration calls for the "establishment of a new international framework for privacy protection, with the full participation of civil society, that is based on the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights, and support for democratic institutions." The Madrid Declaration was released at the Public Voice conference in Madrid on Global Privacy Standards. Multiple translations of the Declaration are available.
You can still sign the Madrid Declaration until January 28, 2010, International Privacy Day. Please, send your signature to privacy @ datos-personales DOT org
Citizen's Journalism in Spain: Periodismo Ciudadano
At the conference, Global Privacy Standards for a Global World, the team from Periodismo Ciudadano is live blogging about the event. A nice coverage of the panel: Activism and Privacy in a Global World has been released.
La Coalizione Internazionale della Società Civile discuterà
‘The Public Voice’, la più grande coalizione mondiale della società civile, organizzerà una conferenza a Madrid, Spagna, il 3 novembre 2009, per discutere degli ‘Standard Globali della Privacy in un Mondo Globale’. La conferenza si svolgerà in coordinazione con la 31ª Conferenza Internazionale Annuale dei Garanti della Privacy e della Protezione dei Dati.
Interverranno alla conferenza sia alcuni fra i principali attivisti ed esperti della comunità accademica, della protezione dei consumatori e dei diritti digitali e del sindacato, sia funzionari pubblici e rappresentanti del settore privato. Insieme, discuteranno su come mantenere alto l’interesse della comunità globale riguardo ai temi della privacy, e su come promuovere la partecipazione della società civile nei processi decisionali che hanno come obiettivo l’adozione di migliori standard globali di protezione della privacy e dei dati personali.
Continue reading "La Coalizione Internazionale della Società Civile discuterà" »
International Civil Society Coalition To Discuss Global Privacy Standards
Urdu Translation of The Public Voice Press Release: International Civil Society Coalition To Discuss Global Privacy Standards
Continue reading "International Civil Society Coalition To Discuss Global Privacy Standards" »
A civil szervezetek nemzetközi szövetsége megvitatja a magánélet védelmének globális normáit
Madrid, 2009. november 3.
A világ legszélesebb civil társadalmi szövetsége, a „Public Voice” 2009. november 3-án Madridban (Spanyolország) tartandó konferenciáján vitát rendez „A privacy globális normái a globális világban” címmel. A konferenciát az adatvédelmi biztosok 31. éves nemzetközi konferenciájához kapcsolódóan rendezik meg.
Az egyetemi szféra, a fogyasztói és a digitális jogok, valamint a munka világa prominens képviselői és szakértői vitatják meg köztisztviselőkkel és az üzleti szektorral, hogy miként lehet növelni az adatvédelmi tudatosságot a globális közösségben, és hogyan lehet elősegíteni a civil társadalom részvételét azokban a döntéshozatali folyamatokban, amelyek jobb adatvédelmi és magánélet-védelmi normák globális elfogadásához vezetnek.
Standards mondiaux de respect de la vie privée: la société civile internationale ouvre le débat
The Public Voice;, la plus large coalition internationale de la société civile pour les questions liées à Internet, consacre une conférence aux “Standards mondiaux de respect de la vie privée dans un monde globalisé”. Organisée en lien avec la 31e Conférence internationale annuelle des commissaires à la protection des données et de la vie privée, cette conférence “The Public Voice” aura lieu le 3 novembre 2009 à Madrid, Espagne.
D’éminents défenseurs et experts de la vie privée des secteurs de l’académie, de la consommation, des droits numériques et du travail dialogueront avec des représentants des autorités publiques et autres organismes, pour identifier les moyens de sensibiliser la communauté mondiale aux enjeux liés à la protection des données personnelles et de la vie privée, et de promouvoir la participation de la société civile dans les processus de décision visant à adopter de meilleurs standards pour assurer cette protection dans un espace mondialisé.
Coalicion Internacional de la Sociedad Civil discutirá los Estándares Mundiales de Privacidad
La Voz Pública, la mayor coalición internacional de la sociedad civil, discutirá sobre "Normas de privacidad global en un mundo globalizado", en su conferencia del 3 de noviembre de 2009 en Madrid, España, que se celebrará junto con la 31ª Conferencia Internacional de Autoridades de Protección de Datos y Privacidad.
Destacados expertos del mundo académico y defensores de consumidores, de los derechos digitales y de las comunidades laborales, discutirán con los funcionarios públicos y el sector empresarial cómo incrementar la conciencia de privacidad en la comunidad mundial, y cómo promover la participación de la sociedad civil en la toma de decisiones para la adopción de mejores estándares de protección de la intimidad y los datos personales a nivel mundial.
OneWebDay 2009: One Web. For All.
OneWebDay is Your Day. On September 22, 2009, people all over the world, who care about the future of the Web are joining together to organize events and activities in their towns, growing OneWebDay network from the grassroots up. To learn about 2009 OneWebDay projects, participating organizations, and local OneWebDay Teams, join my.OneWebDay.Org community space.
Top Ten Myths About Civil Society Participation in ICANN
The Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) at ICANN released the following campaign:
Myth 1
“Civil Society won’t participate in ICANN under NCUC’s charter proposal.”
False. ICANN staffers and others claim that civil society is discouraged from engaging at ICANN because NCUC’s charter proposal does not guarantee GNSO Council seats to constituencies. The facts could not be further from the truth. NCUC’s membership includes 143 noncommercial organizations and individuals. Since 2008 NCUC’s membership has increased by more 215% - largely in direct response to civil society’s support for the NCUC charter. Not a single noncommercial organization commented in the public comment forum that hard-wiring council seats to constituencies will induce their participation in ICANN. None of the noncommercial organizations that commented on the NCSG Charter said they would participate to ICANN only if NCSG's Charter secured the constituencies a guaranteed seat on the GNSO.
Continue reading "Top Ten Myths About Civil Society Participation in ICANN" »
Civil Society Letter regarding non commercial involvement in ICANN policy process
The Non Commercial Constituency at ICANN called for the ICANN Board to correct problems regarding the restructuring of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) and the involvement of non commercial organizations in ICANN.
International Action Day “Freedom not Fear 2009"
A broad movement of civil rights defenders is calling upon everyone to participate in actions directed against the ongoing spread of excessive surveillance measures on the part of businesses, administrations and governments. On Saturday, 12th September 2009, concerned citizens in numerous countries around the world will gather to show protest under the motto “Freedom not Fear 2009 - Stop Surveillance Mania!” You can find more information on actions in different countries at Freedom not Fear wiki.
PIR launches campaign to help .org domain name holders protect the value of their .org domains
The Public Interest Registry (PIR) has announced a new international public awareness campaign aimed at protecting .ORG domain name holders from the potentially damaging consequences of allowing their .ORG domain names to expire. The campaign, called "protectyour.ORG: Preserving the Value of Your .ORG Domain", seeks to educate registrants about the value of .ORG domains˜, even those that are not currently being used as Web sites. It offers steps for locating, managing, consolidating, and securing domain names in order to reduce the potential for problems that may occur when domain names lapse either intentionally or because the registrant was unaware that a name had expired. More information»
This is a listing of events which may be useful for civil society to participate, connect and network on issues relating to information and communication technologies and policies.
The Public Voice Conference:
"Privacy Rights are a Global Challenge"
The Public Voice
Punta del Este
Uruguay
October 22, 2012
The Public Voice Civil Society Meeting: "Next Generation Privacy Challenges and Opportunities"
Lillie Coney, Chair
EPIC Associate Director
The Public Voice
Jerusalem
October 25, 2010
Madrid - Spain. The Public Voice: Global Privacy Standards in a Global World
November 3, 2009
Sharm El Sheikh - Egypt. United Nations. IV Internet Governance Forum November 15-18, 2009
OECD 2008 Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy
Civil Society Privacy Conference
Montreal
Sept. 25, 2007
OECD Participative Web Forum
Ottawa
Oct. 3, 2007
Participation in the World Summit on the Information Society Internet Governance Caucus »
The Public Voice Conference:
"Our Data, Our Lives"
The Public Voice
Warsaw
Poland
September 24, 2012
