The complex territory of human rights and Internet governance is broadly understood and accepted. However it remains largely unexplored and necessitates further elaboration. It is for this reason that the Council of Europe facilitated the preparation of a report by Dr Monika Zalnieriute and Thomas Schneider on ICANN’s procedures and policies in the light of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic values. The report was presented and discussed during the ICANN50 meeting, held in London on 22 to 26 June 2014.
This Side Meeting is organised to facilitate an open expression of views, exchange of ideas and exploration of options among the participants to further the debate on ICANN’s accountability and human rights. All relevant stakeholders, such as governments, ICANN staff, civil society, private sector, and other internet community actors are invited to add to the discussion. After Dr Zalnieriute and Mr Schneider have presented their findings there will be a 90 minutes interactive roundtable discussion, guided by the following questions:
1. To what extent is ICANN’s Applicant Guidebook in compliance with the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association?
2. To what extent are ICANN’s policies and procedures discriminatory?
3. To what extent are ICANN’s policies and procedures in compliance with the right to privacy and personal data protection?
4. Should ICANN and governments in the GAC be responsible and accountable for the protection of human rights online?
5. What is needed to improve accountability for human rights protection within ICANN and the GAC?
We welcome everyone to join us in this very important and timely debate. The report can be found here: http://www.coe.int/t/informationsociety/icann-and-human-rights.asp