Press releases & protests

For Immediate Release                                                                              Contact: Mark Bench, 703.715.9811
                                                                                                                                   embench@wpfc.org

World Press Freedom Committee Joins International Alliance to Launch Global Network Initiative

Reston, USA, Oct. 30, 2008 — In an effort to protect and advance the human rights of freedom of expression and privacy, a diverse coalition of leading information and communications companies, major human rights organizations —including the World Press Freedom Committee— academics, investors and technology leaders today launched the Global Network Initiative.

From the Americas to Europe to the Middle East to Africa and Asia, companies in the information and communications industries face increasing government pressure to comply with domestic laws and policies that require censorship and disclosure of personal information in ways that conflict with internationally recognized human rights laws and standards.

The Initiative is founded upon new Principles on Freedom of Expression and Privacy – supported by specific implementation commitments and a framework for accountability and learning – that provide a systematic approach for companies, NGOs, investors, academics and others to work together in resisting efforts by governments that seek to enlist companies in acts of censorship and surveillance that violate international standards.

“As the world increasingly obtains its news and information from a press that is making a progressively larger — or even exclusive — use of the Internet, old problems must be attacked in new ways,” said WPFC Executive Director Mark Bench. “Longstanding censorship issues such as laws imposing criminal penalties for alleged defamation or even truthful statements that "insult" a head of state (or other government officials) become even more damaging when the last bastion for the wrongfully persecuted, protecting oneself under the cloak of anonymity that the Internet may provide, cannot be fully utilized. These principles assist the press and any other citizens who seek to inform and influence others by ensuring a strong united front against the government persecution and censorship that is often effected against the lone dissenter.”

The Initiative is being launched in the 60th Anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is founded upon the internationally recognized human rights for freedom of expression and privacy set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads as follows:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless frontiers.

The Principles and accompanying Implementation Guidelines require significant new commitments from participating companies, including: establishing greater transparency with users; assessing human rights risk; requesting the legal rationale for government actions and policies; training employees; challenging human rights violations; and providing whistle-blowing mechanisms through which violations of the Principles can be reported.

The participants recognize that responsible company actions alone cannot guarantee that human rights are not violated. Instead, governments have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that human rights are respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled. That is why the Initiative establishes significant new commitments for company, NGO, investor and academic participants to collaborate with each other to promote the rule of law and the adoption of laws, policies and practices that protect and respect freedom of expression and privacy.

Protecting freedom of expression and privacy in a climate of rapidly changing technologies, products and services is a complex and constantly evolving task, so collaboration among participants to lobby governments, dialogue with stakeholders in local markets and share learning from their experiences will be critical to the success of the Initiative.

The participants also announced the formation of an organization to promote and support the long-term success of the Initiative. A multi-stakeholder governance structure for the Initiative is being established to support joint efforts by all participants and ensure the accountability of the participating companies.

The success of the Initiative in establishing a worldwide standard requires a global perspective that is broadly based in the information and communications industry. Therefore, a key priority of the Initiative is actively recruiting new members – from business, academia, investors, and civil society – with a clear commitment to the advancement of freedom of expression and privacy.

The Initiative is the outcome of a multi-stakeholder process that began in 2006 and was formalized in early 2007. The group has closely examined issues and cases relating to freedom of expression and privacy around the world, as well as relevant international laws and standards and a number of global multi-stakeholder processes in other industries.

The World Press Freedom Committee is an international umbrella organization that includes 45 journalistic groups —print and broadcast, labor and management, journalists, editors, publishers and owners on five continents— united in the defense and promotion of press freedom. The WPFC primarily focuses on monitoring threats that develop at UNESCO, the UN and other parts of the UN system; promoting a global common front against restrictions on news through leadership of a worldwide Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations. WPFC also focuses on the reform or elimination of insult and criminal defamation laws, considered powerful censorship tools used to stifle the news media throughout the world.

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