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  Internet Society New York Chapter 3:39 am on 11/15/2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: smart cities ( 2 ), Stuart Reid, un   

  ISOC-NY BOARD MEMBER SPEAKS ON U.N. PANEL ABOUT SMART AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES 

  The Internet Society NY Chapter recently had the opportunity to speak at a United Nations session about Smart and Sustainable Cities:  Changing the World –Innovations and Better life for Future Generations on World Cities Day, October 31^st, 2019.

   

  

  

   

  United Nations Smart and Sustainable Cities session and panelists

   

   

   

  Stuart Reid, ISOC-NY Board Member and Secretary, spoke at the United Nations ITU session about ISOC’s mission to bring the Internet to everyone, including a fascinating summary of the work that Digital Divide Partners (DDP) is doing to provide FREE Internet service to public housing residents in New York City, which alone has a population of over 400,000.  The DDP’s Smart Community Initiative includes providing tools to take advantage of the free access, like community-based studios to create radio and video content, remote sensors and video monitoring services of public spaces, and other resident apps to improve public safety.

   

  

  

   

   

  ISOC-NY Chapter President Greg Shatan at Grant Houses Community Radio (GHCR.nyc) roundtable livestream

   

  Reid reminded the conference participants that Smart Cities begin with Smart Communities and neighborhoods, which are the building blocks of our urban landscape.  He also spoke about the economic inequities in income and municipal funding that, when combined with paternalistic corporate and governmental initiatives, work to exacerbate the digital divide in the nation’s largest and most sophisticated city where it is estimated that 50% of public housing resident do not have Internet access at home.

  Take a look at the entire U.N. Smart Cities session discussion: http://bit.ly/2JKFJwh

   

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 5:13 am on 05/02/2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: governance ( 55 ), itu ( 25 ), un, wsis ( 10 )   

  #WSISForum2016 underway in Geneva – remote participation details #wsis #netgov 

  This week May 2–6 2016 ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP host the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. The WSIS Forum serves the UN as a mechanism for coordination of multi-stakeholder implementation activities, information exchange, creation of knowledge, sharing of best practices and continues to provide assistance in developing multi-stakeholder and public/private partnerships to advance development goals, building on the UN General Assembly Overall Review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes which recognized the necessity of holding this Forum on an annual basis, and called for a close alignment between WSIS and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) processes. Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda (USA) will serve as Chairman Designate of the WSIS Forum 2016 High-Level Track. The Policy Sessions will be moderated by High-Level Track Facilitators (HLTF) nominated and identified by Civil Society, Private Sector, Technical Community and Academia stakeholders. Remote participation is available through both Adobe Connect and live webcast. Geneva time is CEST, 6 hours ahead of NYC.

  What: WSIS Forum 2016
  Where: ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
  When: May 2–6 2016
  Program: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2016/Agenda/
  Webcast: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2016/Media/RP/Webcast/Live/
  Adobe Connect: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2016/Media/RP/AdobeConnect
  Twitter: #wsis https://twitter.com/hashtag/WSIS | #wsis2016 https://twitter.com/hashtag/wsis2016
  Facebook: https://facebook.com/hashtag/WSIS | #wsis2016 https://facebook.com/hashtag/wsis2016

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 5:17 am on 06/30/2015 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: un, wsis ( 10 )   

  WEBCAST @UN #UNGAWSISReview Meetings in NYC Wednesday / Thursday #WSIS #IGF 

  In August 2014 the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 68/302 on the modalities for the overall review by the Assembly of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society – aka WSIS+10 – decided that that the overall review will be concluded by a two-day high-level meeting of the Assembly, to be preceded by an intergovernmental preparatory process that also takes into account inputs from all relevant stakeholders. Under the roadmap that preparatory process takes place this week in NYC and, while registration to attend in person is closed, remote participation is available via webcast & twitter.

  1st Preparatory Meeting – Wed 1 July 2015, 10am-6pm EDT | 14:00:22:00 UTC
  Informal Interactive Stakeholder Consultation – Thu 2 July 2015, 10am-6pm EDT | 14:00:22:00 UTC
  Webcast: http://webtv.un.org/
  Twitter questions: #AskUNGAWSIS (Thursday)
  Twitter comments: #UNGAWSISReview
  Twitter: #WSIS

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  Joly MacFie is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Joly MacFie 10:47 am on 07/02/2015 Permalink | Reply

    UPDATE: Today’s session has just started. The webcast link is at http://webtv.un.org/live-now/watch/general-assembly-informal-consultations-with-all-relevant-stakeholders-of-the-world-summit-on-the-information-society-in-advance-of-the-high-level-meeting-of-the-general-assembly-in-december-2015/1665870036001 and the hashtag to ask questions is #askwsis10​ = https://twitter.com/hashtag/askWSIS10

    Wednesday’s session is archived at http://webtv.un.org/watch/information-session-on-the-world-summit-on-the-information-society-wsis-beyond-2015-building-upon-multistakeholder-consensus-based-outcomes-documents-of-the-itu-and-unesco-hosted-wsis10-review-events/4333064101001

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 3:58 am on 12/06/2014 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: isoc ( 137 ), surveillance ( 34 ), un   

  @UN Members Strengthen Their Position on #Surveillance – – @InternetSociety comments: need better definitions 

  [By Christine Runnegar – via Internet Society Blog – http://www.internetsociety.org//blog/public-policy/2014/12/un-members-strengthen-their-position-surveillance ]

  On 18 December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 68/167 on the right to privacy in the digital age [1], sending a clear message to the international community that the right to privacy applies online as well as offline.

  Recently, the Third Committee adopted a second resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age [2] brought to the UN by Brazil and Germany and sponsored by the countries illustrated in the map.

  

  Map produced using http://www.amcharts.com

  The resolution emphasizes that unlawful or arbitrary surveillance or interception of communications violates the right to privacy. Significantly, the resolution also formally recognises that metadata can have a privacy impact, and that even the mere collection of data can violate the right to privacy.

  There is a call to member states to take measures to stop and prevent surveillance-related privacy violations, echoing the call in the 2013 resolution. The 2014 resolution also goes a step further and calls for member states to offer individuals whose privacy rights have been violated by unlawful or arbitrary surveillance with access to an effective remedy, consistent with international human rights obligations.

  Now that the position of the supporting member states has been made clear in these resolutions, it is important to consider what those principles mean in practice. In this regard, the Internet Society strongly supports the significant progress that has been made in the UN on the issue of pervasive surveillance, but calls upon member states, in partnership with all stakeholders, to articulate what is (or is not) unlawful or arbitrary surveillance – to consider the practical meaning of conditions such as “necessary”, “proportionate” and “not arbitrary” in that context. 

  For the Internet Society, the key criterion here is legitimacy. To be legitimate, a surveillance policy must not only be legal: it must also be demonstrably necessary, proportionate and fair. Since “fairness” is a subjective quality, demonstrating fairness relies on other factors which the Internet Society has consistently championed: transparency, accountability, and appropriate representation of the rights and interests of all stakeholders.

  We also believe there should be open debate on how to protect Internet users from unlawful or arbitrary surveillance.

  [1] United Nations General Assembly: Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 2013
  [2] United Nations General Assembly: The right to privacy in the digital age

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 1:23 pm on 02/22/2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fcc ( 86 ), governance ( 55 ), itu ( 25 ), Robert McDowell ( 3 ), un, WITC-12   

  @FCC Commissioner McDowell to @UN – Hands off the Internet! #netfreedom 

  On Feb 21 2012 the Wall Street Journal published an Op-Ed from FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell – “The U.N. Threat to Internet Freedom“. Commissioner McDowell says that at an World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) next week “Russia, China and their allies” will be pushing hard to renegotiate the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) set at the World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference held in Melboune in 1988 (WATTC-88). Key provisions in those ITRs facilitated the private expansion of IP-based networks opening the gates to the building of the Internet.

  Commissioner McDowell lists several proposals that would emasculate the open successful multistakeholder process that has engineered the growth of the Internet and suggests that they will lead to an eventual balkanization of the network.

  He concludes with a call to action to defeat the proposals.

  A top-down, centralized, international regulatory overlay is antithetical to the architecture of the Net, which is a global network of networks without borders. No government, let alone an intergovernmental body, can make engineering and economic decisions in lightning-fast Internet time. Productivity, rising living standards and the spread of freedom everywhere, but especially in the developing world, would grind to a halt as engineering and business decisions become politically paralyzed within a global regulatory body.

  Any attempts to expand intergovernmental powers over the Internet—no matter how incremental or seemingly innocuous—should be turned back. Modernization and reform can be constructive, but not if the end result is a new global bureaucracy that departs from the multi-stakeholder model. Enlightened nations should draw a line in the sand against new regulations while welcoming reform that could include a nonregulatory role for the ITU.

  Pro-regulation forces are, thus far, much more energized and organized than those who favor the multi-stakeholder approach. Regulation proponents only need to secure a simple majority of the 193 member states to codify their radical and counterproductive agenda. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country can wield a veto in ITU proceedings. With this in mind, some estimate that approximately 90 countries could be supporting intergovernmental Net regulation—a mere seven short of a majority.

  While precious time ticks away, the U.S. has not named a leader for the treaty negotiation. We must awake from our slumber and engage before it is too late. Not only do these developments have the potential to affect the daily lives of all Americans, they also threaten freedom and prosperity across the globe.

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    joly 2:43 pm on 02/22/2012 Permalink | Reply

    Internet Society Senior Manager for Public Policy Sally A. Wentworth has directly filed comments to the WCIT-12, including detailed recommendations (pdf).

    She adds:

    Further, any expanded regulation at the infrastructure level is likely to have an impact on growth and innovation and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. In the rare case where a regulatory framework is needed, Member States should commit to ensuring that these are justified, and consist of high-level principles. Regulation should not interfere in commercial decisions, be based on specific technologies or business-models, or seek to substitute government (public-funded) action for the private sector.

    The ITRs should enshrine a commitment to the use of open and voluntary international standards. Interoperability, mutual agreement, and collaboration are invariable requirements for the Internet’s survival. Many standards development organizations contribute to the smooth functioning of the Internet, and new standards development organizations have emerged over time, so it is potentially damaging to impose a preference for some standards development organizations (SDOs) over others.

    The ITRs should reflect what has been learned about what works best for telecommunication regulation in the 24 years since the WATTC. In particular, its text should seek Member States’ commitment that their regulatory regimes be non-discriminatory, technology neutral, and encourage competition.

    Finally, to continue to benefit from what we know about the Internet, the ITRs should strive to be permissive, not restrictive. The text could be improved by committing to develop “soft” regulatory practices such as “codes of practice” and “guidelines” wherever possible, and always in an open and transparent manner, consistent with current practices and with the outcomes of the WSIS.

    Ms. Wentworth refers readers to the Internet Society document: Internet Invariants: What Really Matters

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 5:10 pm on 12/09/2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: human rights ( 4 ), isoc ( 137 ), net freedom ( 7 ), open internet ( 23 ), un   

  @InternetSociety Supports UN Human Rights Day Focus on Social Media #netfreedom 

  [Geneva, Switzerland – 09 December 2011] – The Internet Society welcomed the focus of today’s United Nations Human Rights Day event highlighting the transformational role of the Internet and social media applications in giving voice to people around the world. The Internet Society is a strong advocate of an open and accessible Internet, and sees the Internet as an enabler of human rights.

  The influence of the Internet and social media on the ability of citizens to connect, share ideas, and join communities is undeniable. In 2011, popular movements in the Middle East and North Africa demonstrated the Internet’s power to enable individuals to exercise their fundamental rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association. In this context, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also points to the role of social media in peaceful protest movements in many other cities across the globe.

  These events illustrate the powerful impact of social media by generating awareness of and support for efforts of people from all walks of life seeking to bring about change, unconstrained by borders, time, and distance.
  (More …)

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 3:56 am on 05/26/2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: censorship ( 18 ), filtering ( 3 ), free culture ( 24 ), free speech ( 6 ), internet freedom ( 69 ), open internet ( 23 ), un, United Nations   

  UN Human Rights Council report on freedom of expression condemns Internet controls #netfreedom @UN_HRC 

  The 17th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva from 30 May – 17 June 2011. In preparation a number of reports have been filed, including one from Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Frank de la Rue.

  The report [pdf] “explores key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet”. It covers both content and access, and also examines what “exceptional circumstances under which the dissemination of certain types of information may be restricted”.

  The report states:

  States restrict, control, manipulate and censor content disseminated via the Internet without any legal basis, or on the basis of broad and ambiguous laws, without justifying the purpose of such actions; and/or in a manner that is clearly unnecessary and/or disproportionate to achieving the intended aim

  and

  The Special Rapporteur is of the view that the arbitrary use of criminal law to sanction legitimate expression constitutes one of the gravest forms of restriction to the right, as it not only creates a “chilling effect”, but also leads to other human rights violations, such as arbitrary detention and torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

  Noting recent cases of imprisonment of bloggers, the report suggests that defamation be decriminalized globally and that only incitements to violence can be legitimately blocked. Additionally

  the Special Rapporteur reiterates that the right to freedom of expression includes expression of views and opinions that offend, shock or disturb.

  The report criticizes heavy-handed copyright protection schemes while noting that the most recent drafts of the ACTA agreement have dropped the ‘3 strike’ disconnection provisions.

  It calls for universal access noting that a BBC global poll in March 2010 “79% of those interviewed
  in 26 countries believe that Internet access is a fundamental human right”

  The conclusions of the report are below:
  (More …)

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  Internet Society New York Chapter 3:04 pm on 12/14/2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: igf ( 92 ), isoc ( 137 ), un   

  The Future of the Internet Governance Forum – sign the petition to keep it multi-stakeholder! #igf 

  In an extraordinary meeting on 6 December the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) decided to create a Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) (http://www.intgovforum.org/) with a membership made up only of governments.

  The Internet Society believes this decision sets back the model of multistakeholder cooperation under which the IGF was established, and contradicts the instructions given to the CSTD for the establishment of the Working Group

  The Internet Society has joined the International Chamber of Commerce – Business Action to Support the Information Society, the Internet Governance Caucus, and many other Internet, business, and civil society organizations in sending a letter to the CSTD, asking them to retract their previous decision and to establish an appropriately constituted Working Group that ensures the full and active participation of governments, the private sector and civil society from both developing and developed countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and international organizations and forums.

  Like the Internet, a multistakeholder approach has been at the core of the Internet Governance Forum’s formation and success. We hope that Internet Society Chapters and Members, as well as other organizations, will join us in signing the letter.

  You may read the full letter, and see the growing list of signatories, and indicate your own support here:

  http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=2710

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    joly 3:08 pm on 12/14/2010 Permalink | Reply

    A UN session: Consultations on enhanced cooperation of international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet was webcast on Tue 14 December: See archived audio/video below

    Morning: (audio only)
    

    Afternoon:
    

    • List of speakers
    • Written contributions
    • India-Brazil-South Africa Joint Statement
    • Bill Graham Oral remarks (ISOC)
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    joly 6:43 am on 12/18/2010 Permalink | Reply

    • 12/15 Bill Graham COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS TOWARDS ENHANCED COOPERATION
      PROVIDED TO THE UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND
      SOCIAL AFFAIRS (ISOC)
    • 12/17 Vint Cerf Governments shouldn’t have a monopoly on Internet governance (Google)
    • 12/17 Tom Gjelten U.N. Delegates Debate Control Of Internet (NPR)
    • 12/17 Bianca Bosker UN Mulls Internet Regulation, Draws Criticism From Google, Others (HuffPo)
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    joly 4:05 am on 12/20/2010 Permalink | Reply

    Baher Esmat, ICANN’s Manager, Regional Relations for the Middle East has provided the wording of the CSTD resolution as finalized on Dec 17 2010.

    Final Text:

    The Chair of the CSTD establishes a Working Group of 15 member states plus the five member states which hosted the IGF meetings plus the two member states which hosted WSIS. This Working Group will seek, compile, and review inputs from all member states and all other stakeholders on improvement of the Internet Governance Forum in an open and inclusive manner throughout the process

    The Chair invites the following stakeholders to interactively participate in the Working Group, bearing in mind the the established rules of procedure of the ECOSOC, who will remain fully engaged throughout the process:

    5 Business community
    5 Civil society
    5 Technical and academic community
    5 Intergovernmental organizations

    Pursuant to the ECOSOC decisions 2010 226, 2010 22, and 2010 228, maximum possible assistance, the diversity of ideas, and the equal representation of stakeholders from developing and developed countries in the Working Group should be ensured in consultation with the stakeholders.

    The report of this Working Group will be adopted by consensus.

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    joly 3:19 am on 12/21/2010 Permalink | Reply
  • 12/20 Nate Anderson Is a UN Internet takeover looming? Not quite (Ars Technica)