Constituency Colleagues,

The subject of human rights and, in particular, the rights of digital 
citizenship in countries hosting ICANN meetings, is both the elephant 
and the gorilla (the unspoken issues) in ICANN Conference venue 
discussions.  Without going into specifics, in the past several years 
ICANN has held its conferences in countries where, while ICANN was 
meeting, governments were exercising extreme control over their 
citizenry’s access to the Internet and cell phone service.

What is absolutely clear is that ICANN should have venue criteria that 
are sensitive to these issues, and these are issues that should be 
raised in all ICANN venue selection discussions.

What is also absolutely clear is that such issues should be raised and 
addressed prior to the selection of a venue. The subsequent ICANN event 
should not be used as a platform for raising country specific issues. I 
would go so far as to recommend that for countries with human rights 
issues, digital or otherwise, if and when ICANN reaches what it 
considers as a satisfactory arrangement, there is an understanding that 
during the event none of ICANN’s constituency groups will publicly, or 
in collaboration with local groups, engage in activities that challenge 
human rights record and policies of the local government.

This is not because governments should not be challenged on their 
record, and it is not because local groups should not be supported. It 
is also not just because these issues should be sorted out prior to 
venue selection. It is because delegates to ICANN meetings are in a 
privileged position, and while public displays would probably not put 
delegates at risk, they would put local collaborators at risk, 
especially after ICANN has left the scene.

Sam Lanfranco

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"It is a disgrace to be rich and honoured
in an unjust state" -Confucius
  邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也。邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也
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Dr Sam Lanfranco (Prof Emeritus & Senior Scholar)
Econ, York U., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - M3J 1P3
email: [log in to unmask]   Skype: slanfranco
blog:  https://samlanfranco.blogspot.com
Phone: +1 613-476-0429 cell: +1 416-816-2852