No. 266 The right to access the Internet in Latin America

1. Primary Contact Information

Mr. Luis Fernando García

Organizational Affiliation: R3D

2. Secondary Contact Information

Mr. Carlos Brito

Organizational Affiliation: R3D

3. Workshop Format. Please click here for a description of available Workshop Session Formats.

4. Panel format background paper

Background paper

5. Duration of proposed session

90 minutes

6. Title

The right to access the Internet in Latin America

7. Description of workshop

Some countries in Latin America have recognized the access to the Internet as a human right. For example, Mexico introduced the right to access the Internet in its Constitution and Costa Rica's Constitutional Court recognized it in a ruling.

However, there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding what a right to access the Internet means. Particularly, there is a need to develop and understand the scope and the State obligations derived from the recognition of this right. This is particularly relevant since the recognition of a right to access the Internet might become a trend in Latin America and it would be useful to open the discussion about the implications of such recognition.

R3D, a digital rights organization in Mexico is preparing a paper developing a proposal for understanding the obligations to respect, protect, promote and guarantee the right to access the Internet as recognized in Mexico's Constitution.

The objective of the panel is to present the proposal and open a multi-stakeholder dialogue. Discussants would receive the draft paper in advance since it would guide the public discussion at the IGF 2016. The outcomes of the dialogue will help R3D to develop and publish a final proposal for understanding the right to access the Internet from a Latin-American perspective that can serve as a guide for implementation around the region.

The room should have an online participation station, several roaming microphones to capture audience questions/comments and video/audio capabilities to facilitate the initial presentation and to facilitate possible remote participation.

8. Tags

Tag1: Access

Tag2: #humanrights

9. Name, stakeholder group, and organizational affiliation of workshop proposal co-organizer(s)

Luis Fernando García. Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D). Civil Society.

Valeria Betancourt. Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Civil Society.

10. Has the proposer, or any of the co-organizers, organized an IGF workshop before?

no

11. Description of the plan to facilitate discussion amongst speakers, audience members and remote participants

A draft paper of a proposal for the understanding of the scope and obligations of the right to access the Internet will be sent in advance to participants. During the panel, an introduction to the draft will be presented to the public and the structure of the draft will serve as a guide for discussion. The moderator that has very deep knowledge of the draft will make sure to conduct a dynamic discussion.

Audience members will be asked to participate several times during the panel.

Online Participation will be encouraged and introduced into the discussion by the online moderator. The online moderator will intervene in the discussion on behalf of the online participants to guarantee an equal footing participation.

12. Proposed Speakers

Huerta, Erick
Ornelas, Lina
Carrillo, Arturo
Erramuspe, Alejandra
Del Campo, Agustina
La Rue, Frank
Ruiz, Claudio

Speakers provisionally confirmed:

Carrillo, Arturo
Del Campo, Agustina
Erramuspe, Alejandra
Huerta, Erick
Ornelas, Lina
Ruiz, Claudio

13. Reasons for Speakers and/or description of how stakeholder views will be represented

- Alejandra Erramuspe: Communications Manager and Head of Internet Governance at Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento (AGESIC). Government. Uruguay. (TBC): She will participate from the governments perspective.

- Frank La Rue: Frank La Rue: Assistant Director-General Communication and Information at UNESCO. International Organization. Guatemala. (TBC): He will provide the perspective of an international organization.

- Agustina del Campo: Director at Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression & Access to Information CELE of Universidad de Palermo. Academic. Argentina: She will provide an academic point of view.

-Arturo J. Carrillo: Director of the International Human Rights Clinic, and Co-Director of the Global Internet Freedom & Human Rights Project at The George Washington University Law School. Academic. Colombia: He will provide an academic point of view as well.

Lina Ornelas: Chief of Public Policies and Government Relations for Google in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Private sector. México. (TBC): She will provide the perspective of the private sector.

Erick Huerta: General Coordinator Deputy at Redes por la Diversidad, Equidad y Sustentabiliad A.C. Civil Society. México. (TBC): He will provide a perspective from civil society groups dedicated to build community alternatives to connectivity.

Claudio Ruiz. Executive Director at ONG Derechos Digitales. Civil Society. Chile. (TBC): He will provide a perspective from civil society.

14. Name of in-person Moderator(s)

No information provided

15. Name of Remote Moderator(s)

Valeria Betancourt

16. Name of Rapporteur(s)

Luis Fernando García

17. Description of the proposer's plans for remote participation

Online Participation will be encouraged and introduced into the discussion by the online moderator. The online moderator will intervene in the discussion on behalf of the online participants to guarantee an equal footing participation.

18. Based on which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

No information provided

19. Background paper

Background paper

20. Agenda

No. 266 The right to access the Internet in Latin American

Format: Panel. Duration: 90 minutes.

Moderator: Luis Fernando García
Remote Moderator: Valeria Betancourt
Speakers: Erick Huerta, Lina Ornelas, Arturo Carrillo, Alejandra Erramuspe, Agustina Del Campo, Frank La Rue, Claudio Ruiz.

0 – 2 minutes: Moderator will present all speakers.
2 – 12 minutes: Moderator will introduce the topic based on the draft paper that was distributed to all discussants.
12 – 20 minutes: Speaker 1 will address the floor.
20 – 38 minutes: Speaker 2 will address the floor.
28 – 36 minutes: Speaker 3 will address the floor.
36 – 44 minutes: Speaker 4 will address the floor.
44 – 52 minutes: Speaker 5 will address the floor.
52 – 60 minutes: Speaker 6 will address the floor.
60 – 68 minutes: Speaker 7 will address the floor.
68 – 90 minutes: Questions and answers from audience in situ and online.