{"id":8938,"date":"2014-09-19T18:07:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-19T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.publicknowledge.org\/uncategorized\/new-african-declaration-highlights-net-neutrality-spectrum-and-access-to-information-principles\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T23:11:05","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T23:11:05","slug":"new-african-declaration-highlights-net-neutrality-spectrum-and-access-to-information-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicknowledge.org\/new-african-declaration-highlights-net-neutrality-spectrum-and-access-to-information-principles\/","title":{"rendered":"New African Declaration Highlights Net Neutrality, Spectrum and Access to Information Principles"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than two dozen global civil society organizations, most of which are based in Africa, unveiled the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms<\/a> at the Internet Governance Forum<\/a> (IGF) held in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this month. The declaration\u2019s main purpose is to create a widely endorsed standard within a human rights framework for internet-related policy making decisions in Africa. This monumental declaration will help contribute to the future development of a crowdsourced \u201cMagna Carta\u201d for the Internet<\/a>, an initiative headed by the Web We Want initiative<\/a> and supported by Public Knowledge.<\/p>\n

Based on a number of international and regional information and communications technologies (ICTs) and human rights principles, including the African Platform on Access to Information Declaration of 2011 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights of 1981, this declaration addresses the modern-day intersection of human rights and internet policy. In defining the importance of a democratic and open internet, the declaration specifically endorses the principle of net neutrality based on non-discriminatory practices:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn accordance with the principle of net neutrality, all data on the internet should be treated in an equal and non-discriminatory manner, and shall not be charged differentially, according to user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, and modes of communication.\u201d<\/p>\n

This declaration also takes aim at a host of issues also raised here in the United States related to intermediary liability, internet affordability and increasing access to openly licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Viewed in a more traditional human rights lens, the declaration warns against unlawful filtering, blocking and limiting access to content as a violation of the right to freedom of expression and to information.<\/p>\n

PK commends the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms and its drafters for creating a comprehensive document that addresses local internet issues in Africa while also promoting a global free and open internet. One of the members of the drafter\u2019s group, Nnenna Nwakanma, is a steering committee member of Best Bits – a global civil society platform that PK members actively participate in. In 2015, Nwakanma and other drafters will submit this declaration to the African Union Conference of Ministers Responsible for Communications and Information Technologies (CITMC), the leading regional political body in charge of policy issues related to ICTs in Africa.<\/p>\n

For more information on how you can support the declaration\u2019s initiative, please contact Dixie Hawtin (dixie@gp-digital.org<\/a>) or Emilar Vushe (emilar@apc.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than two dozen global civil society organizations, most of which are based in Africa, unveiled the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this month. The declaration\u2019s main purpose is to create a widely endorsed standard within a human rights framework for internet-related policy making decisions in Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[13,15],"class_list":["post-8938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insights","tag-net-neutrality","tag-spectrum-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew African Declaration Highlights Net Neutrality, Spectrum and Access to Information Principles - Public Knowledge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. 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