Telecom groups join effort to advance Freedom of Expression
Eight global telecommunication companies will collaborate with the Global Network Initiative (GNI), a group working to protect and advance Freedom of Expression and Privacy in the ICT sector
The collaboration aims to advance freedom of expression and privacy rights in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector more effectively. IMS has been part of GNI since 2011, taking part in global policy discussions on online Freedom of Expression.
During the two-years collaboration, the members of the GNI and the eight telecom companies, organised in the so-called Industry Dialogue, will aim to find a shared and practical approach to promoting freedom of expression and privacy rights around the world.
Implementation of human rights standards
“This is a positive step from some of the world’s largest companies providing communications and Internet access to consumers around the world and we hope that this effort will lead to full implementation of human rights standards through membership in GNI,” said Arvind Ganesan, director of business and human rights at Human Rights Watch, as the telecom companies joined the GNI.
“It is an opportunity for GNI to learn from telecom companies about the complex human rights challenges they face and for them to learn from GNI about how they can develop an accountable system to safeguard human rights.”
Further underlining the importance of engaging closely with telecommunications companies to address the global challenge of protecting and furthering human rights, GNI Executive Director Susan Morgan said:
“Telecommunications play an essential role facilitating the free flow of information, and today the human rights and economic impacts of the sector are in the global spotlight.”
The Telecommunications Industry Dialogue is a group of global telecommunications operators and vendors who have been meeting since 2011 to discuss freedom of expression and privacy rights in the telecommunications sector in the context of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The eight telecommunications companies part of the Industry Dialogue are Alcatel-Lucent, France Telecom-Orange, Millicom, Nokia Siemens Networks, Telefonica, Telenor, TeliaSonera, and Vodafone.
The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is a group of companies, civil society organisations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors and academics, who have created a collaborative approach to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector.
