1 October 2003
FREE-EXPRESSION PRINCIPLES IGNORED AT INFORMATION SOCIETY SUMMIT MEETINGS
As the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) ended its latest round of preparatory meetings in Geneva last week, IFEX members involved in the process expressed concern and dissatisfaction over the refusal of governments to commit to the principles of free expression.
The World Press Freedom Committee, ARTICLE 19, the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the International Federation of Journalists, all members of the WSIS Media Caucus, submitted a letter on 26 September to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan expressing deep concern over the outcome of PrepCom3.
"Fundamental, agreed principles on independent, pluralistic media are at risk. Government delegations have been unable to agree on re-committing themselves to the universally accepted principles of freedom of expression and to the place of media as a major stakeholder in the Information Society," the groups said.
The groups stressed that the overriding principle of WSIS on freedom of expression and press freedom should be Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). They urged Annan, as patron of the WSIS, to remind governments of their existing commitments to values enshrined under Article 19 and "to engage more UN agencies in the debate on the role of the UN system in the Information Society."
Read the full letter here: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/53907/
In a separate statement, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) also called on Annan to ensure that the WSIS gives priority to empowering the poor, including support for traditional and community-based media. AMARC said the low profile given to traditional communications media at PrepCom3 was leading it to question the WSIS' real commitment to development.
"Community media have a crucial role to play in enabling participation, strengthening cultural diversity, promoting gender equality and supporting a more just and equitable information society that includes the voices of the poor and the marginalised," AMARC stressed.
See AMARC's statement: http://www.prepcom.net/wsis/1064587116987
Many IFEX members have been actively involved in promoting freedom of expression at the WSIS process in the past year. Visit the IFEX website to get the latest updates on their involvement: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/50685/.
The WSIS will be held in two phases during the next two years. The first phase will be in Geneva this December, where a declaration of principles and an action plan for bridging the digital divide will be launched. This will be followed up by a second conference in Tunis in 2005.
For more information, visit the WSIS official site: http://www.itu.int/wsis/index.html
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