STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. SACHA LLORENTI,
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, CHAIR OF THE GROUP OF 77,
AT THE DEVELOPMENT COUNTRIES AND INTERNET GOVERNANCE
PANEL DISCUSSION
Organized by
Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations
(New York, 7 October 2014)
H.E. Mr. Amr AboulAtta
Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Nations
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your work and dedicationin the organization of this Informal Discussion and Information Sharing Session in cooperation with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on “Developing Countries and Internet Governance”.
I would like to remind us the role of the Developing countries in the area of Internet governance and technologies
The World Summit on the Information Society held on 12 June 2013, (WSIS+10) High-level Event endorsed an outcome document that recognizes information and communications technology (ICTs) as enablers for achieving the three pillars of sustainable development and describes ICTs as “a critical component of innovative development solutions in the post-2015 development agenda” and the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of action adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society at its first phase, held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003.
The General Assembly was requested to undertake the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society in 2015 in the paragraph 111 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by the Summit at its second phase, held in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005.
In this regard, the Group of 77 and China submitted in the Second Committee of the Sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly the Resolution “Information and communications technologies for development”, that was adopted on 15 January 2014. In this resolution, the Group reaffirmed and recognized that the Internet is a central element of the infrastructure of the information society and is a global facility available to the public.
The Group of 77 and China emphasized that the international management of the Internet should be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society, academic and technical communities and international organizations, as stated in the Tunis Agenda for he Information Society.
Another important point that merits consideration was the importance of the Internet Governance Forum and its mandate as a forum multi-stakeholder dialogue on various matters, as reflected in paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda, including discussion on public policy issues related to key elements of Internet Governance, while acknowledging the calls for improvements in its working methods, and taking into account the recommendations of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development.
In this sense, the Group of 77 and China submitted to the Sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly the Resolution “Modalities for the overall review by the General Assembly of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society” that was adopted on 31 July 2014, with this, the Group has achieved to secure the primacy and centrality of the General Assembly as key elements in the conduct of this overall review, without any deviation from the established rules of General Assembly.
In the resolution the Group of 77 and China reaffirmed that the United Nations General Assembly is a multilateral body and not a multistakeholder body, and any attempts at changing the character and nature of the General Assembly have been successfully resisted in the text of the Resolution.
The Group of 77 and China believes that the overall review by the General Assembly will not only take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society since 2005 but also address potential information and communications technology gaps areas for continued focus, as well as addressing challenges and harnessing information and communications technologies for development.
What is happening now with Internet governance?
As our head of States and Governments have expressed in the Santa Cruz Declaration, we view with dismay that some countries have recently been undertaking extensive, arbitrary and unlawful surveillance and/or interception of communications, including extraterritorial surveillance and/or interception of communications as well as the collection of personal data, including on a mass scale, on people and institutions in other countries, including on political leaders, senior officials and various government departments and agencies, as well as citizens. We call for the ending of such activities, which violate the human right to privacy of individuals and have a negative impact on the relations between countries. In this regard, we all call for intergovernmental entities to discuss and review the use of information and communications technologies to ensure that they fully comply with international law, including human rights law, in accordance with the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
We welcome the NETmundial Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance held in São Paulo, Brazil, on 23 and 24 April 2014, and take note of its outcome document.
We emphasize the important opportunities provided by information and communications technologies, including social media and related infrastructure, as a vehicle to promote better understanding among nations and the achievement of internationally agreed upon development objectives.
We recognize at the same time that the illegal use of information and communications technologies has a negative impact on nations and their citizens. In this regard, we express our strong rejection of the use of information and communications technologies in violation of international law, including the right to privacy, and of any action of this nature directed against any Member State, in particular a State member of the Group of 77.
We further underscore the importance of ensuring that the use of such technologies should be fully compatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, in particular the principles of sovereignty, the non-interference in internal matters and the internationally recognized rules of civil coexistence among States.
In this regard, we take note with concern of the information published in international media about the objectives of the so-called “ZunZuneo” network, which would constitute an illicit use of new information and communications technologies.
How to move forward?
Well, therefore we reiterate our commitment to intensifying international efforts directed at safeguarding cyberspace and promoting its exclusive use for the achievement of peaceful purposes and as a vehicle to contribute to both economic and social development, and highlight that international cooperation, in full respect of human rights, is the only viable option for fostering the positive effects of information and communications technologies, preventing their potential negative effects, promoting their peaceful and legitimate use and guaranteeing that both scientific and technological progress is directed at preserving peace and promoting the welfare and development of our societies.
I thank you very much.
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