Washington – The State Department will address
Internet freedom when it evaluates countries around the world
in the next release of its annual Human Rights Report,
Paula Dobriansky, under secretary of state for democracy and global
affairs, said December 20.
Dobriansky made the announcement of the next phase for the department’s
Global Internet Freedom Task Force (GIFT) at a State Department
ceremony. She told the assembled policymakers and representatives
from the technology industry, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
and academia that the Human Rights Report to be released
in 2007, which will cover activities in 2006, will include Internet
freedom activities. Governments that restrict Internet freedom
or in any way punish those who lawfully use the Internet will
be cited, she said. (See related
article.)
The United States will strive to expand access to the Internet
for people the world over, Dobriansky said, because the United
States considers unrestricted, lawful use of the Internet part
of the fundamental human right of freedom of expression. (See
related
article.)
She said the United States also plans to increase its dialogue
with international partners to press other governments to live
up to their existing international commitments regarding freedom
of expression.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice established GIFT on February
14 as an internal State Department coordination group that works
with other U.S. government agencies and the National Security
and National Economic councils to maximize the free flow of information
and ideas, to minimize the success of repressive regimes in censoring
and silencing legitimate debate and to promote access to information
and ideas over the Internet. (See related
article.)
Through multiple U.S. government programs (including U.S. Agency
for International Development projects and the Telecommunications
Leadership Program) and public-private partnerships (the Digital
Freedom Initiative), the United States promotes expanded Internet
access and the availability of information and communication technologies
in developing countries.
Since 2004, the United States has spent more than $250 million
on projects that include providing telecommunications infrastructure,
Internet access, computer hardware and support for regulatory
reform to ensure sustainable infrastructure development. These
projects also include designing Web sites and databases, and training
in information and communication technologies (ICTs).
The State Department also has established a $500,000 grant program
for innovative proposals and cutting-edge approaches to combat
Internet censorship in countries seeking to restrict basic human
rights, including freedom of expression.
At the December 20 ceremony, Ambassador David A. Gross of the
State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
announced the department will host a conference aimed at bringing
together responsible interested parties to discuss ways to promote
Internet freedom. Internet freedom is important to economic, social
and political development, Gross said.
Congressman Christopher Smith, who also spoke at the ceremony,
said China has more than 30,000 “cyber police” to
censor and control information. He condemned companies that help
provide the technology to track down people who seek freedom and
democracy.
Smith acknowledged another important guest at the State Department
GIFT event: Harry Wu, the Chinese human rights activist who spent
19 years in Chinese labor camps for criticizing the Chinese Communist
Party.
For additional information, see a December 20 State Department
fact
sheet.
Jane Morse
USINFO Staff Writer
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