Agenda
Organizing entity: Expression Online Initiative is a consortium of freedom of expression organizations. These organizations are: Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Human Rights Club (HRC) and Azerbaijan Media Center (AMC).
Description:
Human Rights and Internet Governance are at the intersection like never before and a growing group of Internet freedom and openness advocates are getting more involved. Now is the time to discuss the important human rights implications of new technologies and aspects of Internet governance.
The event will be kicked off with discussion of the United Nations Human Rights Councils Resolution on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet.
The event will produce a multi-stakeholder debate around Internet freedom.
Objectives:
1) Raise awareness on the Internet as a human right, and specifically, on the United Nations Human Rights Councils Resolution on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet;
2) Stimulate debate on internet freedom in countries ranked as non-free or partly free in terms of internet freedom
3) Develop and shape multi-stakeholder strategies to promote Internet freedom
Participants are expected to include representatives of the host country government, intergovernmental organizations, media, ICT industry, along with non-governmental organizations involved in the protection of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
Tentative agenda (as of 9/19/2012)
10:00-10:20 Registration and informal discussions
10:20-10:30 Welcome by Expression Online
10:30- 11:00 Key note speech by Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Freedom of the Media Representative: Online expression as a fundamental and indivisible right to freedom of expression (participation confirmed)
11:00- 12:00 Panel Debate: Promoting Human Rights in the Digital Age
Moderator: Gulnara Akhundova, Programme Manager, International Media Support
Presentation of the of the United Nations Human Rights Councils Resolution on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, by Frank La Rue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. (participation confirmed)
Where Internet policy touches upon human rights issues? Integration of internet human rights criteria into internet governance and corporate decision-making, by John Kampfner, former chief executive of Index on Censorship, external adviser to Google on free expression and culture and an adviser to the Global Network Initiative (participation confirmed)
Recent trends in state attacks on internet/digital freedom, cyberactivism, case studies from MENA countries, by Courtney Radsch, Senior Advisor for Freedom House (participation confirmed)
State of the internet freedom in the IGF 2012 host country, by Emin Huseynov, Expression Online member, Chairman of Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (participation confirmed)
12:00-12:30 Brainstorming recommendations. Participants jointly develop policy recommendations by civil Society and academia for each stakeholder group to promote and implement Human Rights in the digital age. Moderator: Avri Doria, Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and IGF expert (participation confirmed)
