Commentary on Internet Rights and Principles Charter

The Centre for Law and Democracy today released Version 2 of a Commentary on the Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet, providing a detailed analysis of the implications of a range of fundamental human rights for the Internet. The Charter itself was prepared by the Internet Rights and Principles Coalition, which in turn arose out of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a tri-partite gathering bringing together civil society, governments and the commercial sector to discuss regulatory issues relating to the Internet.

Click here to read the Commentary

Click here to see a Draft of the Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet

“The Internet has become global force for the actualisation of basic human rights, democratisation, enfranchisement and positive social progress”, said Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy. “This, in turn, has engaged human rights protection, most immediately for the right to access the Internet but also regarding key features of how the Internet should be structured and regulated.”

The Commentary reviews the implications of a wide range of human rights for the Internet, including rights of systematic relevance, such as non-discrimination, freedom of expression and privacy, and more thematic rights, such as the rights to education, culture and work. The Commentary is based on both global human rights instruments – such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – and regional instruments. It also draws heavily on authoritative interpretations of these instruments, including the 2011 Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and the Internet, adopted by the special international mandates on freedom of expression at the UN, OSCE, OAS and African Commission.