United Nations Body Set up to Make Recommendations on Governing Internet

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111602.html

NEW YORK, November 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The United Nations has established a working group on Internet "governance," to prepare for a decision on the issue to be made at the World Summit on the Information Society (second phase), to be held in Tunis in November 2005.

The task of this Working Group is to organize an open dialogue on Internet Governance, and to bring recommendations on this subject to the Summit.

The two documents adopted by the Geneva Summit, the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action, asked the Working Group "to investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the governance of the Internet by 2005."

Among other things, the Group was requested to identify the public policy issues that are relevant to Internet governance. The Working Group will include 40 members from governments, private sector and civil society, representing all regions.

The two Summit documents call for an "open and inclusive" process and "a mechanism for 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."

LifeSiteNews.com director Steve Jalsevac expressed concern over the development. "The Internet community should monitor this process very carefully considering the United Nation's tendency to impose its ideological views on a global basis," he said. "The UN has no respect for the sovereignty of nations regarding its dearly held ideological positions on life and family and thus will have little concern for businesses, organizations and individuals which contravene UN orthodoxy."

See list of the individual members of the working group at: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/041116a.html

Editor's note: See next page for this Web site.

Editor's note: My appreciation and gratitude to LifeSiteNews.com for granting permission to reprint their article.