The Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (GDRC-WSIS) has presented a joint submission for the WSIS+20 review, developed by eighteen organisations. This document emphasises the importance of incorporating human rights and broad multistakeholder engagement into the review process and its results. It responds to an Elements Paper released by co-facilitators last month, which will form the basis for the final document.
An informal consultation is set for July 29, with the zero draft expected soon after. A detailed roadmap is also anticipated shortly.
The Elements Paper represents a constructive starting point in this process, and we commend its release. We especially value the introduction, which effectively frames the paper within a multistakeholder context and offers a clear analysis of developments in the digital landscape since the original WSIS Summits. However, to better address the priorities identified by the GDRC-WSIS and other stakeholders during the consultations, we suggest that the zero draft incorporate the following:
- Ensures a human rights-based and gender-responsive approach;
- Guarantees protection against restrictions on access to and use of the Internet and digital technologies;
- Recognises the structural barriers and risks that hinder meaningful connectivity;
- Endorses a multistakeholder approach to Internet governance and establishes the IGF as a permanent structure;
- Establishes a clear pathway for integrating the Global Digital Compact (GDC).