[cc-humanrights] Last call for CCWP charter

[Niels ten Oever]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for this. 

Would it help of we would change every mention of human rights into ICANNs corporate responsibility to respect human rights?

Best,

Niels

 Patrik Fältström <paf at netnod.se> wrote:

>All,
>
>I am a bit concerned every time an organisation that is not a state say that they work with human rights. Not that it is wrong, but as human rights are promises members of the UN (i.e. states) have promised each other, it is if one is pedantic a bit difficult to know what other kind of organisations are supposed to. And "what to do" is one of the most important discussions to have, as the actual implementation given agreement on this often is simple.
>
>An organisation can work with "human rights related issues" or, what is I think more correct, "corporate social responsibility issues", i.e. CSR issues. Also because I think CSR issue is so much more than human rights, like labour, blood diamonds and such.
>
>As human rights forces a state to either do actions to protect or help people, or forbid states to do things, CSR from my perspective is the discussion on what ICANN can and should do within that context. Specifically as ICANN work in a global context.
>
>Will this include ICANN own behaviour, and/or also the way ICANN should act when being present in States that are by UNHRC viewed as violating the human rights?
>
>So, I will try this afternoon, if the above do make sense, try to fine tune the wording. Change "human rights" to "csr" in a few places, and suggest a new text. Unless you Niels already do that because you are faster than me :-)
>
>Sorry if I am picky here, but I think it is of outmost important ICANN being a global organisation with both a corporate body and a community that come up with policies that impact people (and states) in the world, do this the right way.
>
>In general, I only think I am talking about words chosen. Not what the group should do.
>
>   Patrik
>
>> On 1 Apr 2015, at 01:59, Niels ten Oever <niels at article19.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Signed PGP part
>> Dear all,
>> 
>> We had some time to comment the charter text for the Cross Community
>> Working Part on ICANN and Human Rights both on this list and in the
>> call, I would like to propose that we leave the text (as put
>> underneath) open for comment for one more week and then work with this
>> charter and go ahead do some research before the Buenos Aires meeting.
>> 
>> I'm greatly looking forward to your questions, suggestions and
>> comments and to hopefully come to consensus by Tuesday next week.
>> 
>> Best,
>> 
>> Niels
>> 
>> Background:
>> 
>> This cross community working party (CCWP) seeks to map and understand
>> the issues and potential solutions for the impact that policies,
>> procedures and operations of the Internet Corporation for Assigned
>> Names and Numbers (ICANN) have on human rights. In particular it
>> focuses on the corporate responsibility of ICANN to respect human
>> rights. It builds on a long term community engagement on this topic,
>> further catalysed with the publication of the paper 'ICANN's
>> procedures and policies in the light of human rights, fundamental
>> freedoms and democratic values', as commissioned by the Council of
>> Europe, and after sessions held in London, Los Angeles and Singapore.
>> It seeks to improve ICANN's measures to respect human rights, in
>> accordance with article 4 of ICANN's articles of incorporation.
>> 
>> Objective:
>> 
>> The CCWP on ICANN and Human Rights would have the purpose to raise
>> awareness, provide information, facilitate dialogue and make
>> suggestions to the ICANN community on ways to better harmonize ICANN’s
>> policies and procedures with internationally recognized human rights
>> standards, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
>> and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
>> The working party will focus on human rights that are directly
>> impacted by ICANN policy decisions, procedures and operations.
>> 
>> Responsibilities and scope of work:
>> 
>> (i) To continue the process of raising awareness about the interplay
>> between ICANN’s policies, procedures and operations and human rights;
>> 
>> (ii) To map and collect information from the community about cases as
>> well as current ICANN policies,procedures and operations that present
>> an impact on human rights in which further guidance on how to
>> harmonize policies and procedures with human rights would be necessary;;
>> 
>> (iii) To develop guidelines for the procedures that are in place or
>> that should be created in the policy development process to ensure the
>> respect for human rights;
>> 
>> (iv) To provide information, suggestions and recommendations to the
>> chartering organizations and to the broader ICANN community on how
>> ICANN’s policies and procedures can be developed and implemented
>> consistent with internationally recognized human rights standards.
>> This input can inform the policy development processes as defined in
>> the ICANN Bylaws.
>> 
>> (v) To propose procedures and mechanisms with the aim of producing
>> assessments on if and how policies and procedures under development
>> and/or being implem