UN-Menschenrechtsrat: Menschenrechte gelten auch online

Der UN-Menschenrechtsrat hat am vergangenen Freitag eine nicht-bindende Resolution (PDF) mit dem Titel „The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet“ (A/HRC/32/L.20) beschlossen. Die Resolution sagt aus, dass Menschenrechte auch online gelten sollen.

Notorische Feinde des freien Internets wie China und Russland, hatten zusammen mit autoritären Regimen wie Saudi-Arabien und Katar, aber auch mit Demokratien wie Südafrika und Indien versucht, die Resolution zu verwässern und bestimmte Teile aus ihr zu streichen. Dabei zielten sie insbesondere gegen eine starke Bindung an die Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte. Die Verwässerungsversuche wurden jedoch mit der Mehrheit des Rates zurückgewiesen.

Internetabschaltungen verurteilt

Die Resolution verurteilt nicht nur Internet-Shutdowns, also das Abschalten des Internets zum Zwecke der Informationsunterdrückung, sondern fordert auch dass digitale Spaltungen überwunden werden. Alleine im ersten Halbjahr 2016 gibt es laut Acces Now 20 Fälle weltweit, in denen das Internet ganz oder teilweise abgeschaltet wurde, so zum Beispiel unlängst in der Türkei.

Thomas Hughes von der Nichtregierungsorganisation Article 19, die sich zusammen mit zahlreichen weiteren NGOs für die Verabschiedung der Resolution eingesetzt hatte, ist der Meinung, dass der Schutz der Meinungsfreiheit spezifischere und detaillierte Resolutionen benötige. Er sagt:

Zukünftige Resolutionen des Menschenrechtsrates müssen sich unter anderem gegen Gesetze richten, die sich missbräuchlich gegen legitimen Online-Widerspruch wenden sowie gegen Maßnahmen von Regierungen, die Anonymität und Verschlüsselung unterminieren und gegen Versuche private Player in Zensurmaßnahmen einzuspannen.

Resolution für Förderung, Schutz und Genuss von Menschenrechten im Internet

In der verabschiedeten Resolution heißt es:

Considering the key importance of government engagement with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, private sector, the technical community and academia, in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms online,

1. Affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice, in accordance with articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
2. Recognizes the global and open nature of the Internet as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development in its various forms, including in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;
3. Calls upon all states to promote and facilitate international cooperation aimed at the development of media and information and communication facilities and technologies in all countries;
4. Affirms that quality education plays a decisive role in development, and therefore calls upon all States to promote digital literacy and to facilitate access to information on the Internet, which can be an important tool in facilitating the promotion of the right to education;
5. Affirms also the importance of applying a comprehensive human rights-based approach in providing and in expanding access to Internet and requests all States to make efforts to bridge the many forms of digital divides;
6. Calls upon all States to bridge the gender digital divide and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of all women and girls;
7. Encourages all States to take appropriate measures to promote, with the participation of persons with disabilities, the design, development, production and distribution of information and communications technologies and systems, including assistive and adaptive technologies, that are accessible to persons with disabilities;
8. Calls upon all States to address security concerns on the Internet in accordance with their international human rights obligations to ensure protection of freedom of expression, freedom of association, privacy and other human rights online, including through national democratic, transparent institutions, based on the rule of law, in a way that ensures freedom and security on the Internet so that it can continue to be a vibrant force that generates economic, social and cultural development;
9. Condemns unequivocally all human rights violations and abuses, such as torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention, expulsion, intimidation and harassment, as well as gender based violence, committed against persons for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms on the Internet, and calls on all States to ensure accountability in this regard;
10. Condemns unequivocally measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights law and calls on all States to refrain from and cease such measures;
11. Stresses the importance of combating advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination or violence on the Internet, including by promoting tolerance and dialogue;
12. Calls upon all States to consider formulating, through transparent and inclusive processes with all stakeholders, and adopting national Internet-related public policies that have the objective of universal access and enjoyment of human rights at their core;
13. Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on ways to bridge the gender digital divide from a human rights perspective, in consultation with States, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, international organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society, industry, technical community and academia and other stakeholders, and to submit it to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-fifth session;
14. Encourages the special procedures to take these issues into account within their existing mandates, as applicable;
15. Decides to continue its consideration of the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, on the Internet and other information and communication technology, as well as of how the Internet can be an important tool for fostering citizen and civil society participation, for the realization of development in every community and for exercising human rights, in accordance with its programme of work.