While the outcomes of the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) remain unsettled, one thing is clear -- without the hard work by you, global civil society, and rights-respecting governments, things would have been a whole lot worse and the open internet would have looked very different.
For now, what we can say is that the internet, the one we know and love, which has given the world a common platform for expression and innovation, will largely remain the same for now.
While many of the most dangerous proposals did not make it into the final treaty, a resolution was passed that instructs the ITU to take a more active role in internet policy in the future. But, it's more complicated than that.
So what did happen in Dubai? Governments fought with governments. Meetings were held behind closed doors. Access sat down with the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and made sure your voices were heard. Negotiations between countries inched toward a consensus before totally collapsing at the 11th hour. Delegations took to the floor and protested.
While the WCIT was at times dramatic theater, what has come out of two weeks of intense negotiations between the world's governments remains muddy.
With censorship, surveillance, and the human rights front and center at the Conference, a treaty was approved but lacks support from nearly a third of governments, calling into question its legitimacy. However, there are some serious concerns that the treaty's vague language could allow repressive regimes to justify their existing censorship and surveillance practices.
While the ITU responded to some of our demands for greater transparency and inclusivity for civil society, holding meetings behind closed doors, not sending civil society comments on to delegates, and holding votes by “taking the temperature in the room” is a far cry from the kind of multistakeholderism we expect when it comes to internet policymaking.
Access applauds the
55 countries who have indicated they will not sign the treaty today, which includes Australia, Costa Rica, Sweden, and the United States. We have also sent statements to other member states, urging them to reject the treaty. Some delegations are returning to their capitals before making a determination, and we believe they should consult with all those who will be affected by this treaty before deciding whether or not to sign it.
Want the good, the bad, and the ugly over what wound up in the treaty? Find out more on the Access blog by clicking the link below, and be sure to read our WCIT Watch posts to see what happened over the past two weeks:
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