Am World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) der UNO 2005 in Tunis wurde ein Dokument ausgehandelt und verabschiedet, die sogenannte „Tunis Agenda“, die insbesondere die Schaffung eines „Enhanced Cooperation“ Prozesses vorsieht, der es den Regierungen ermöglichen soll, ihre Aufgaben im Hinblick auf das Internet wahrzunehmen. Es hat dann aber jahrelang niemand konkrete Vorschläge gemacht, wie diese „Enhanced Cooperation“ aussehen könnte. Erst seit etwa zwei Jahren ist wieder Bewegung in diese Sache gekommen. Aktuell gibt es eine formelle Arbeitsgruppe auf UN-Ebene, die konkrete Empfehlungen ausarbeiten soll. Diese Arbeitsgruppe hat als ersten Schritt eine internationale Vernehmlassung lanciert, in der sich die Digitale Gesellschaft wie folgt geäussert hat:
1. Which stakeholder category do you belong to?
Non-government: civil society, other (network of Swiss civil society organizations and individuals)
2. What do you think is the significance, purpose and scope of enhanced cooperation as per the Tunis Agenda?
(a) Significance: In view of the following facts, instituting a human rights focused enhanced cooperation process is of immense importance:
• Massive transborder human rights violations have been recently revealed in the context of Internet communications in regard to the human right to privacy.
• It is a clear responsibility of governments to enable people to enjoy all of the internationally recognized human rights,
• In regard to the threat and ongoing reality of transborder human rights violations for example by foreign intelligence services, countries are not able to take effective action on their own without international cooperation.
(b) Purpose: The Tunis Agenda says: “to enable governments, on an equal footing, to carry out their roles and responsibilities”. We propose to put a clear priority on the responsibilities that arise from the international human rights treaties, and the roles which governments need to fulfil in order for people to be able to fully enjoy their human rights.
(c) Scope: The Tunis Agenda says: “international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, but not in the day-to-day technical and operational matters, that do not impact on international public policy issues”. All technical specifications and institutional structures related to the Internet need to be reviewed whether they have been appropriately designed in view of the important human rights objectives.
3. To what extent has or has not enhanced cooperation been implemented?
Governments have not yet been enabled to carry out their roles and responsibilities in regard to the protection of human rights in regard to Internet communication.
Hence the enhanced cooperation mandate of the Tunis Agenda has not been implemented yet.
4. What are the relevant international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet?
Right now, privacy protection on the Internet in regard to transborder threats to privacy is the most important issue.
5. What are the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders, including governments, in implementation of the various aspects of enhanced cooperation?
All stakeholders need to recognize that human rights are more important than all other considerations. Governments need to start committing significant resources to figuring out effective ways for protecting communications privacy in the Internet age, and contributing correspondingly to technical standardization processes.
6. How should enhanced cooperation be implemented to enable governments, on an equal footing, to carry out their roles and responsibilities in international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet?
Those governments which truly wish to take their human rights obligations seriously need to start to act accordingly, and cooperate in doing so. This cooperation should be conducted in a fully transparent manner, and on the basis of an open multistakeholder discourse aimed at figuring out good and effective strategies for safeguarding the human rights in the digital age.
7. How can enhanced cooperation enable other stakeholders to carry out their roles and responsibilities?
When governments create and safeguard human rights based democratic societies, that enables everyone to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.
8. What are the most appropriate mechanisms to fully implement enhanced cooperation as recognized in the Tunis Agenda, including on international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and public policy issues associated with coordination and management of critical Internet resources?
Eventually a mechanism like the WisdomTaskForce will be needed.
9. What is the possible relationship between enhanced cooperation and the IGF?
The IGF is about open discussion, enhanced cooperation is about taking action.
10. How can the role of developing countries be made more effective in global Internet governance?
(no answer)
11. What barriers remain for all stakeholders to fully participate in their respective roles in global Internet governance? How can these barriers best be overcome?
(no answer)
12. What actions are needed to promote effective participation of all marginalised people in the global information society?
(no answer)
13. How can enhanced cooperation address key issues toward global, social and economic development?
By focusing on human rights, which are key issues toward global, social and economic development.
14. What is the role of various stakeholders in promoting the development of local language content?
(no answer)
15. What are the international internet-related public policy issues that are of special relevance to developing countries?
(no answer)
16. What are the key issues to be addressed to promote the affordability of the Internet, in particular in developing countries and least developed countries.
(no answer)
17. What are the national capacities to be developed and modalities to be considered for national governments to develop Internet-related public policy with participation of all stakeholders?
(no answer)
18. Are there other comments, or areas of concern, on enhanced cooperation you would like to submit?
(no answer)