A coalition of non-governmental organizations
February 6 sent a letter to the Council of Europe asking for public
release of a draft protocol on Racism and Xenophobia that was under
discussion. On Feburary 7, the Council of Europe released a draft
protocol and other materials (available here).
February 6, 2002
Dear Council of Europe Secretary-General
Walter Schwimmer:
We are non-governmental organizations from
Council of Europe member and observer nations who share a common desire
to protect human rights on the global Internet. Many of the undersigned
organizations had previously sent you two letters as members of Global
Internet Liberty Campaign (dated Oct. 18 and Dec. 12, 2000) that raised
a number of concerns regarding the Convention on Cybercrime.
We understand that a discussion draft protocol on
Racism and Xenophobia (to be considered in
connection with the Council of Europe cybercrime treaty) has either been
completed or is nearing that final stage. This protocol apparently will
require the criminalization of certain forms of Internet speech that
some might find offensive, and an additional provision related to
"abusive hosting".
We are writing to ask for the public release of
this discussion draft as soon as it is completed. If this document has, in fact, already
been completed, we ask that you release it immediately. The protocol is
likely to raise critical questions regarding freedom of expression and
human rights. Given the potentially serious ramifications of the
protocol, we believe its text must be disclosed to allow vigorous and
wide-ranging debate over its merits. While the signatories to this
letter may differ on the specific provisions of the protocol once we
learn its contents, we are of the unanimous view that its development
should conform with principles of transparency and democratic
decision-making.
For these reasons, we urge you to release the
discussion draft to the general public if it is finished, or to release
the document as soon as it is completed.
Sincerely,
American Civil Liberties Union (US)
Article 19-The Global Campaign for Free
Expression
Association for Progressive Communications
Associazione per la Liberta nella Comunicazione
Elettronica Interattiva (IT)
Bits of Freedom (NL)
Bulgarian Institute for Legal Development
(BG)
Center for Democracy and Technology (US)
Chaos Computer Club (DE)
Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
Derechos Human Rights (US)
Digital Freedom Network (US)
Digital Rights (DK)
Electronic Frontiers Australia (AU)
Electronic Frontier Foundation (US)
Electronic Privacy Information Center (US)
Equipo Nizkor (ES)
Feminists Against Censorship (UK)
Förderverein Informationstechnik und
Gesellschaft
Foundation for Information Policy Research
(UK)
Human Rights Network (RU)
Human Rights Watch
Imaginons un Réseau Internet Solidaire (FR)
Liberty (UK)
The Link Centre, Wits University, Johannesburg
(ZA)
Networkers against Surveillance
Taskforce (JP)
Online Policy Group (US)
Privacy International (UK)
Privacy Ukraine (UA)
Quintessenz (AT)
Swiss Internet User Group (CH)
Verein für Internet Benutzer (AT)
XS4ALL (NL)