The Brazilian and German
initiative seeks to apply the right to privacy, which is enshrined in the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to online communications. Their
proposal, first
revealed by The Cable, affirms a
"right to privacy that is not to be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful
interference with their privacy, family, home, or correspondence." It notes
that while public safety may "justify the gathering and protection of certain
sensitive information," nations "must ensure full compliance" with
international human Rights laws. A final version the text is scheduled to be presented to
U.N. members on Wednesday evening and the resolution is expected to be adopted
next week.
A draft of the resolution, which
was obtained by The Cable, calls on
states to "to respect and protect the right to privacy," asserting that the "same
Rights that people have offline must also be protected online, including the
right to privacy." It also requests the U.N. high commissioner for human Rights,
Navi Pillay, present the U.N. General Assembly next year with a report on the
protection and promotion of the right to privacy, a provision that will ensure
the issue remains on the front burner.