The role of NGOs in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

(April 29, 2003) The Digital Freedom Network's monthly Food for Thought
conversation series offers an opportunity for informal discussion on the
use of technology in human rights work. The purpose of the Food for Thought
series is to facilitate networking among like-minded organizations and
individuals and provide a platform for information exchange on
technological uses, needs and trends throughout the world. The April 16,
2003 meeting, held at DFN's offices in New York City, focused on the role
of non-governmental organizations working in the field of human rights and
development in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

A two-part United Nations conference, WSIS will bring together
representatives from government, business and civil society to discuss the
major social and economic challenges that are resulting from the use of new
technologies. With the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
mandated with organizing WSIS, the first meeting will be held in Geneva,
Switzerland from December 10-12 , 2003 followed by a second meeting in
Tunis, Tunisia in November 2005.

To facilitate the discussion, DFN invited two individuals to discuss civil
society participation in the context of WSIS:

Ramin Shahzamani, Technical Consultant with the World Federalist Movement
(WFM) and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)

WFM is an international citizen's movement working for justice, peace, and
sustainable prosperity. It works to strengthen and democratize world
institutions. The CICC is a coalition of 2,000 NGOs that work towards the
establishment of the ICC and to ensure that it is an effective and
independent body.

Nan Rubin, Founder of Community Media Services

Nan has been providing technical and organizational planning to public
broadcasting stations, independent producers, media organizations and
grassroots groups for more than twenty years. She is working with groups
that involve communications rights and local media inititiaves as they
relate to WSIS.

The principles of WSIS are informed by the UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDG), a broad set of economic and social development goals set out by the
UN Secretary-General to bridge the gap between the developed and less
developed nations by the end of this millennium. While WSIS is being
organized by the ITU, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) is also playing a part which is important in terms of
human rights because it relates the process to a cultural environment.

The major stakeholders in the WSIS process include governments, the private
sector and civil society. Five regional conferences have already taken
place in Mali, Romania, Japan, Dominican Republic and Lebanon that
addressed the specific issues of each region and helped to localize the
dialogue. There have also been two Preparatory Committees (PrepComs)
leading up to the meeting in December at which the various stakeholders
came together to begin the dialogue and decide on objectives for the
summit. A third and final PrepCom is scheduled to be held in Geneva in
September 2003.

During the first PrepCom, stakeholders were trying to get a grasp of the
process and understand where it was leading. They were also forming
collaborations with like-minded organizations and learning how to organize
around these issues. At the second PrepCom, the NGO community was stronger
and more cohesive. Their outreach efforts were more organized and they
communicated better with the governments, the private sector, and among
themselves.

The outcome of WSIS will be a clear statement of political will and a plan
of action to bridge the gap between the have and have-nots in the global
information and communications network. During the second Prepcom, two
draft documents, a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action, were
produced. Both of these documents are still works-in-progress that will be
finalized during the first meeting of WSIS.

Within the draft Declaration of Principles, there is very progressive
language in terms of a human rights perspective. It references the special
requirements of developing countries and an equitable information society.
It also refers to the preservation of the rights within the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 19.
The outcome of WSIS will be a clear statement of political will and a plan
of action to bridge the gap between the have and have-nots in the global
information and communications network.

The draft Plan of Action correlates to the points in the Declaration of
Principles and is concerned with their implementation. It is in essence
what governments and the various stakeholders agree to implement. The
language of the Plan of Action was found to be very weak. It is mostly
geared towards establishing technology infrastructures, which are
admittedly important components, but there is very little language that
takes into account the principles of democracy, accountability and
transparency.

Although WSIS is a two-part conference"a unique set up for such a
meeting"this does not mean that stakeholders must wait until the second
phase has concluded to take action on these issues. After the first
meeting, governments will go back to their respective countries for
reactions and feedback with the dialogue continuing until the meeting in
2005. However, the Plan of Action indicates that implementation should
begin during the next two years. In fact, activity on these issues has been
taking place for many years irrespective of WSIS and will continue to do,
so. WSIS is merely formalizing the process and making the stakeholders
agree to certain processes and principles.

While a lot of important work takes place outside of the actual Summit,
mostly during the PrepComs and the dialogue during the inter-sessional
periods, it is unclear if the conference in December will merely be a
rubber stamp of what has already been decided during the PrepComs. However,
the fact that there are two phases to the WSIS process suggests that the
meeting in December should be seen as the beginning of the process, an
opening of the door, while the second meeting in Tunis will focus on
results. There are several years in which to assess what shape the process
is taking and to create forums that will continue to shape the final
documents.

The WSIS documents are not treaties and therefore will not have any binding
force on governments. With no one identified to execute these ideas and no
additional money earmarked for these activities, it is unclear how these
principles will be achieved.

Perhaps it is merely an exercise for NGOs and governments and will not have
much of a lasting impact on what actually transpires in the future. A cynic
would say that the powerful nations and corporations will do as they like
and that WSIS is merely a way to make people feel as though they have an
impact.

It appeared to some that international decisions are often based on US
domestic interests and therefore NGOs need to concentrate on influencing
decision-making within US government and corporate structure. US opposition
to certain international decisions and actions has made them difficult to
implement or overcome.

However, the point was made that while US opposition can make something
more difficult, it does not make it impossible. The ICC was given as an
example, but it is not yet fully implemented and it still remains unclear
what power it will have without US support. While discussing such issues is
important, remaining optimistic was considered to be more productive.

The framework of communications rights

NGOs are using the communications rights framework to place these issues in
the context of human rights by shifting the discussion at WSIS away from
identifying technology as the problem, but rather to an understanding that
technology issues such as the digital divide are merely symptoms of some of
the bigger issues around globalization, economics, and the persistence of
poverty. It concerns the larger problem of where money is going to and
falling away from with a recognition that technology issues reflect and
reinforce these tendencies. Thus WSIS will have real implications for those
interested in social development issues.

There is a cultural ignorance surrounding technology and science which is
often discussed as an inert conduit or machine considered part of a higher
order unassociated with good or bad. However, in the areas of development
and globalization, science and technology are understood to be far from
neutral. There are important issues concerning the way technology is
designed, controlled and distributed. Even the term "digital divide" places
it within an economic framework.

A major concern is the focus of discussion on the privatization of
information and information technologies that is occurring with other major
global development and resource issues. The privatization of water is one
example, but technology was considered especially problematic because it
does have to be provided by industry and private corporations. What has
been assumed in much of the discussion of these issues is that the
privatizing or owning the spectrum or content is inevitable thereby
relegating the role of the public to that of merely consumers who are part
of the market.

The communications rights framework stresses that the market-economy model
is not the only model that can shape this structure. There are other models
for the common usage of various kinds of information technologies that are
more egalitarian, such as the open source movement.

To discuss the information society as though it is a product and therefore
something that can be bought, sold and controlled through private means,
thus creating a market for industry, neglects the fact that
telecommunications issues, as well as other development issues, must meet
the needs of civil society.

The real discussion should be about the information moving through the
technology, and not the information itself. To speak in terms of
information puts the issue in the framework of globalization and private
capital. By recognizing that communications is a right is to understand
that it is more than just information flowing in one direction, but rather
a two-way interaction between people.

Two organizations that have been discussing communications rights in this
context are the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
and the Communications Rights in the Information Society (CRIS). In 1997,
AMARC produced the Declaration of Milan which provided a framework for
communications rights that is widely available and very familiar in the
larger global society.

The CRIS campaign is echoing this language and clearly positing the issue
of the information society as a human rights issue by trying to establish a
framework and get groups involved so that people understand that
information alone is not communications. Interest in organizing around this
issue seems to be increasing, although the positions are not as well known
in the US, and such groups are participating in the PrepComs civil society
forums that are available to them. They are also organizing a
Communications Rights Summit that will be held as an alternative WSIS for
NGOs, civil society groups, and activists and engaging in education
activities to try and strengthen the information available and make it more
visible.

Another group that has been very involved in these issues is the
Association for Progressive Communications (APC). They are the primary
social justice organization that works on IT issues and they have been
playing a big role in this. A visit to the Web sites of any of these
organizations can provide a wealth of information for those who are
interested.

The goal is to ensure that through people's participation and involvement
in the decision-making, WSIS is based on the values of social justice and
that issue of communications reflect plurality and sustain diversity,
including that of culture and language. It should also reflect regional and
local perspectives and experiences and recognize the participation of
women. In particular, women's participation and that of indigenous
populations should be encouraged because they are usually not at the table
when technology is being discussed.

There are two other issues that will be on the table at WSIS that are
important areas for NGO participation. The first is being taken up by the
US government very seriously and involves information surveillance,
censorship, privacy and security issues. In essence, the US will be
bringing their war on terrorism to WSIS and NGOs should be particularly
concerned about this.

Surveillance and privacy issues really have to do with the militarization
of the information society. This militarization is being led by the Bush
administration and it is happening in many other spheres of the social
construct. They are interested not only in the surveillance of people's
communications in the US, but all over the world and the Internet makes
this possible for them.

Civil society groups are often told that they should not push too hard for
issues such as privacy because it will keep technology from people who
cannot afford it. For people who cannot afford Internet service, the only
thing they have of value to companies is their personal information. If you
insist that there is privacy, then these companies cannot mine from them.
If they cannot mine this information, then they have no incentive to
provide them with free service. Companies are using the language of WSIS in
their arguments by framing the relaxation of privacy protections as a way
to get technology to the people.

The role of governments, private industry and NGOs

The role of governments, private industry and civil society in the WSIS
process was discussed and of particular concern was the influence and
status of private industry in relation to civil society.

While governments are ultimately the key decision-makers in this process
because they will be voting on the language in the WSIS documents, the
private sector has also been given an official legal status at the Summit.

Some believe that this is largely because this issue is being explained in
a technological fashion, as part of the digital divide. This is a fairly
new development that has enormous implications on long-term interests
regarding the UN, as well as globalization and its resulting economic and
social development issues. It is no longer just governments and NGOs at the
table. While one can argue whether this inclusion is desirable, private
industry is undeniably a key player in the process.

The exact way in which private industry will be represented in WSIS was
unclear. It was understood that credentials would be given to trade
organizations of industry groups, and not to individual corporations. Thus,
the Union of Telecom Providers would receive a credential rather than
Microsoft. Such organizations of industry groups in many respects have the
superficial appearance of being NGOs although they will clearly be
representing corporate interests.

It seemed that industry groups would have an upper hand in the WSIS process
compared to civil society because of their money, political influence, and
their ability to aggressively lobby for their interests. During the last
PrepCom, there was talk that governments were allowing industry groups to
participate in the discussions and not NGOs. Governments will rely on the
private sector in many ways to implement the objectives of WSIS, and the
private sector will try and ensure that they are not encumbered by
government regulations and policies in doing so.

It is unique situation for such a conference to endow the private sector
with a legal status and while civil society groups can challenge this, they
also have to work with it. However, all this does not mean that civil
society groups are also not key players in this process and that their
input will be insubstantial. It is important to recognize that civil
society brings many different perspectives to the discussion and that can
play many different roles in the process. There has been a lot of formal
NGO participation in the PrepCom process and many of the issues that have
been brought up during this discussion would not be put on the agenda of
WSIS unless civil society was at the table influencing the language of the
texts. They will also play a role down the road in holding the different
stakeholders accountable, although we should be careful to not minimize the
role of civil society as merely that of an accountability mechanism.

The WSIS bureaucracy is also trying to counter private sector influence by
also elevating the status of civil society through the creation of a
special bureau. Although the structure is complex and not very clear, there
is recognition of NGO participation in a formal way.
In effect, they cannot let the industry groups sit at the table without
also providing civil society with some support.

Also, the private sector or business community does not necessarily have a
unified front on many of these issues. In fact, there is quite a bit of
dissension with smaller corporations fearing that they may be shut out of
the process by the larger corporations.

Civil society can take advantage of this dissension and create strategic
alliances with parts of the business community. This is done quite often in
the US in terms of media policy where small telephone companies often are
on the same side as civil society. One issue around collaboration can be
forged is a possible US State Department initiative to have all ISP's
install filter boxes that will allow the government to view Internet
traffic. Such a regulation would be of concern to technology companies and
civil societies can find a way to link their issues to this concern.
"The WSIS process may be helpful for groups working on these issues at a
domestic level to begin to think about them in an international framework."

It is also important to recognize the role of other international bodies
such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) or the World Intellectual
Property Organization in this process. For example, there are cultural
quotas whereby 25 percent of television programming has to be produced
using local languages and local producers. The WTO is the body that the US
and Hollywood will use to fight such a quota.

WSIS is not just about WSIS. In fact, the WSIS process may be helpful for
groups working on these issues at a domestic level to begin to think about
them in an international framework and to use WSIS to support their ongoing
domestic activities. WSIS documents can be used strategically by domestic
groups to hold governments and corporations accountable.

While some of the smaller countries have taken a stronger interest in WSIS,
many governments and corporations have not. For many countries that do not
have a lot of clout on a global scale and are therefore vulnerable to
economic and political pressures, protecting some type of communications
sovereignty is important. Such governments are trying to balance genuine
globalization pressures while maintaining local control over local policies
that deal with pieces of a global network. They are concerned with how such
a global network can be used to improve the lives of their own citizens
through local development.

If groups such as the Caribbean Broadcasting Union who are meeting to
discuss these issues can make sure that their governments attend WSIS and
take up these positions, then the conference can be very helpful indeed.

Increasing civil society involvement in WSIS

Civil society will have an impact on the language of the WSIS texts if they
can successfully organize and use their influence. These communications
rights issues are echoed to some degree in the principles of WSIS and this
is in large part because NGOs have been at the table.

While attendance at WSIS and the Preparatory Committees is the most direct
way for NGOs to be involved, obtaining accreditation and funding to attend
is difficult. In some cases, often with smaller countries, NGOs are invited
to be part of the government delegation. However, government and NGO
participation is usually quite separate. The US delegation to WSIS is
organized by the State Department and it is unlikely that NGOs will be
invited to participate as part of the delegation.

It seemed strange that there has not been any discussion of using different
mediums for participation and input into the process especially given the
topic of WSIS. It seems to be following a very traditional and archaic
participation structure that requires attendance at the meetings in order
to have any influence. There is a large constituency of people
organizations that are currently not involved in the process and it seems
important that new methods for their participation are utilized. Attending
WSIS should not be the only way for organizations to be involved

Others pointed out that NGOs can make a substantial difference down the
line that is exclusive of attending the summit. The CRIS campaign Web site
provides information on how to organize and participate at the local level
and CRIS has also produced a number of documents that NGOs can sign onto.

Those international organizations that are heavily involved in the WSIS
process, such as APC and AMARC, are unable to monitor every government and
corporation in the world. Local NGOs can assist these international groups
by providing them with important local information concerning corporate and
government actions within their countries.

Domestic pressure campaigns against corporations and government agencies
that are involved in WSIS is another way that NGOs can get involved if not
directly in the process, but in the issues.

One of the biggest hurdles in organizing around these issues is that people
don't think that it relates to them or their work. The issue is complicated
and mystifying and there is a lack of understanding that serious economic
and political issues are part of this discussion. The issue of media policy
and communications has an impact on our total socialization and the values
that we are learning and WSIS is just one expression of how this
communications environment is coming under international control.

In the US, there has been very little coverage of WSIS. This is not
surprising given the fact that most US media policy at the national, local
and city level is not discussed. When local cable franchises are up for
renewal, there is no discussion or press coverage. Right now, the FCC is in
middle of a ruling on media consolidation there has been almost no coverage
despite the fact that groups all around the country have been talking to
the FCC about the dangers of media consolidation.

There seems to be a disconnect between NGOs and activists working on WSIS
issues and IT networks at the local level. Although some within the local
networks are aware that to some extent their life circumstances are being
determined by this process, they are not identifying the same issues or
speaking the same language. They are not relating to the content of the
issues that traditional NGOs are presenting in relation to WSIS.

People need to understand that they have a stake in these issues and that
it will have an impact in them no matter what specific issue they are
working on or how they are trying to strengthen civil society. The way this
impacts on every issue needs to be drawn out and clarified by translating
the information on communications rights into language that fits into the
agendas of a wider range of NGOs. More basic education on the relation of
these issues to human rights and development is needed. Couching the issues
as part of the larger push for a private globalized economy is one way this
could be done.

While organizations such as WFM are disseminating good information on WSIS,
the reporting process still needs to be improved and more NGOs that are
actively involved need to do a better job of informing and educating the
public.

Summary points

The outcome of WSIS will be a Declaration of Principles, which is a
statement of political will, and a Plan of Action to address the gaps in
the global information and communications network. The major stakeholders
are governments, the private sector and civil society.
WSIS issues are complex and deal with serious economic and political
issues, such as the privatization of information and information
technologies, that impact on all NGOs regardless of their focus.
Civil society brings many different perspectives and can play many
different roles at WSIS to ensure that it is based on values of social
justice and diversity.
The impact of civil society on the language of the Declaration of
Principles and the Plan of Action depends on their ability to organize and
use their influence.
By using a communications rights framework, NGOs are addressed the bigger
issues of globalization, economics and the persistence of poverty.
The influence of private industry in relation to civil society is one
concern of NGOs participating in WSIS.
The market-economy model should not be seen as the only model that can
shape the structure of an information society. More egalitarian options
should be considered.
Participation and input by NGOs and individuals into the WSIS process needs
to be increased beyond attendance and should utilize the technologies
currently available.
Local NGOs can assist those organizing on the international level by
providing them with country specific information.

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