Regarding Opposing ITU Authority Over the Internet in line with World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT)

18 October 2012

To

Advocate Sahara Khatun

Hon’ble Minister

Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications

Bangladesh Secretariat

Dhaka 1000

Subject:           Regarding Opposing ITU Authority Over the Internet in line with World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 3-14 December 2012.

Dear Hon’ble Minister,

Greetings from Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)

BNNRC is a national networking body working for building a democratic society based on the principles of free flow of information, equitable & affordable access to Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) of remote & marginalized population through;

Right to Information for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized

ICT for Development for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas

Community Radio/Community Television for amplifying voices for the voiceless & Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction

Dear Hon’ble Minister,

In the interests of promoting and protecting global Internet openness and the exercise of human rights online, we write to urge International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member states and their delegates to the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) to refrain from expanding the scope of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) treaty to include the Internet.

At the WCIT, governments will consider proposals that would expand the scope of the ITRs to include the Internet. Such expansion could have a significant negative impact on the Internet’s openness, its positive effects on economic growth, and the human rights of citizens.

As recently reaffirmed by the UN Human Rights Council, governments have a duty to protect human rights when making policy decisions for the Internet. However, while the ITU has extensive expertise in telecommunications policy and regulation, we do not believe that it is the appropriate forum to develop policies and standards that could affect the exercise of human rights on the Internet.

Further, the ITU maintains a relatively closed, non-transparent decision-making process in which only governments are allowed full participation. In contrast, the Internet has flourished under an open, decentralized model of governance, where groups representing business, the technical community, and Internet users as well as governments focus on different issues in a variety of forums.

  

In keeping with the World Summit on Information Society commitments, we believe that such open, inclusive processes are necessary to ensure that policies and technical standards for the global Internet preserve the medium’s decentralized and open nature and protect the human rights of its users.

In recent months, many civil society groups have urged the ITU to reform its process so that it is fully transparent and open to participation by all relevant stakeholders. Advocates have pushed for these changes not only because we believe that transparency and participation are the best approach, even with respect to telephony, but also because we feared that certain countries’ proposals would pose grave threats to human rights on the Internet. Leaked documents detailing proposals for the WCIT have confirmed these fears. Thus, we both continue to call Bangladesh Delegation to provide transparency and open participation to all relevant stakeholders as they prepare for the WCIT, and urge all members of delegation to reject proposals that would threaten openness and human rights online.

We would be very happy if you initiate, to hold a transparent, inclusive preparatory process for the WCIT that is open to all relevant stakeholders & publicly release WCIT proposals and position papers, documents from regional meetings they have participated in, and documents issued by other member states.

Hold open, public consultations on the WCIT so that delegates may fully consider the interests of citizens as well as those of business and government. Inform citizens of the positions Bangladesh intend to take at the WCIT on key proposals made by other governments and oppose expansion of the International Telecommunication Regulations to the Internet.

We draw your kind attention to rigorously examine proposals for their impact on human rights in line with article 39 of Constitution of Bangladesh, Internet openness, innovation, and ICT access and development and oppose proposals that would diminish the rights of users or limit Internet openness.

We solicit your special cooperation in this regard.

AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR

Chief Executive Officer

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication 

Cc:

Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Information, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Secretary, Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications,Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission    

(BTRC)