Universal press freedoms must be enjoyed by the Internet, UN official says

The Internet deserves to have the same universal freedoms and regulations as already apply to the rest of the media, according to a senior United Nations official.

The Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Shashi Tharoor, told the General Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee in New York today it is only logical that governments give the Internet the same boundaries as more traditional media.

He said it would be a mistake when regulating the Internet to extend any restrictions beyond the reasonable protections for privacy and against abuse by criminals and terrorist groups.

“These measures fall under national penal law, and are not – in a national context – viewed as a threat to freedom of speech,” he said in an address ahead of the World Summit on the Information Society. The summit will take place in two phases: the first will be held from 10 to 12 December in Geneva, while the second is slated for 16 to 18 November 2005 in Tunis.

Mr. Tharoor added that the benefits that follow a free flow of information should not be “sacrificed to meet the challenges that international communication pose to reasonable national restrictions.”

He reminded government representatives who will be attending the summit that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives everyone the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

“It is quite clear that the free flow of information is in the interests of all countries. Restraints on the flow of information directly undermine economic well-being. Global interdependence means that those who can receive and disseminate information freely have an edge over those who do not,” he stressed.

Press freedom, particularly its application to new communication technologies such as the Internet, will be one of the focuses of debate at the summit.

Mr. Tharoor said affluent countries should provide financial support to ensure that the citizens in developing countries have much better and fairer access to information.

He said new information technologies should also contain domestic content, allowing developing countries to maintain diversity and cultural identity.