GENEVA —
The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva passed its first resolution on
Internet freedom on Thursday with a call for all states to support individuals'
rights online as much as offline.
 |
A woman
views the Chinese social
media website Weibo at a cafe in
Beijing (AFP/File, Mark Ralston)
|
Despite
opposition on the issue from nations including China, Russia and India, states promoting
the resolution hailed the support of dozens of countries ahead of its adoption.
"This
outcome is momentous for the Human Rights Council," US ambassador Eileen
Chamberlain Donahoe told reporters.
"It's
the first UN resolution that confirms that human rights in the Internet realm
must be protected with the same commitment as in the real world."
The text
had the support of 85 co-sponsors, 30 of whom are members of the HRC, Donahoe
added. The United States was among the text's co-sponsors.
"This
resolution is a welcome addition in the fight for the promotion and protection
of human rights and fundamental freedoms online," said US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, in a statement issued in Washington.
"The
free flow of news and information is under threat in countries around the
world. We are witnessing an alarming surge in the number of cases involving
government censorship and persecution of individuals for their actions online
-- sometimes for just a single tweet or text message," Clinton added.
Of other
states supporting the initiative, Tunisia's ambassador Moncef Baati said it was
particularly important for his country because of the role social networking
websites played in ousting president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
"The
most important result of the Tunisian revolution is this right to freedom of
expression...(this) is very important at the moment (in Tunisia) and it is for
this reason that there is a strong commitment in Tunisia to consolidate
Internet rights," he said.
"Our
link with all media networks during the revolution doubles the importance of
this commitment to freedom of expression on the Internet which remains a major
tool for economic development."
The
independent Tunisian authority charged with reforming the media, the National
Body for the Reform of Information and Communication (INRIC), announced on
Wednesday that it had shut down after failing to achieve its objective,
accusing the North African nation's Islamist-dominated government of
censorship.
Other
countries that backed the resolution on the Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment
of Human Rights on the Internet included Brazil, Nigeria, Sweden and Turkey.
Related Articles:
Doubts rise over UN net freedoms resolution
Acta: Controversial anti-piracy agreement rejected by EU
Doubts rise over UN net freedoms resolution
Acta: Controversial anti-piracy agreement rejected by EU
No comments:
Post a Comment