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Name :	RENNO NUNES, Raquel
Date :	August 20, 2021
Organization :	Article 19
Country :	Germany
Job Title :	Digital Programme Officer
Contribution :	The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that Internet-related public policy development that focuses on closing the digital divide remains a pressing issue that must be meaningfully addressed by Member States, as the state of Internet connectivity fundamentally impacts access to information that is critical during public health emergencies. However, we recognize two major problems in current policy approaches that must be addressed. First, many of the Internet-related emergency measures taken by Member States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the allocation of additional spectrum to large telecommunication companies, have fallen short of addressing the root causes of the digital divide, and may even further entrench them. Second, while the COVID-19 pandemic has placed the issue of the digital divide back to the fore in the ITU and other multilateral spaces, several Member States have approached connectivity discussions by raising cybersecurity issues in ways that detract from the matter of increasing access to vital and relevant information. We set out these issues in this contribution and provide recommendations to Member States. Specifically, we recommend that Member States should commit to focusing the ITU’s work on universal connectivity, in line with its mandate, that emergency Internet-related policy measures should be designed to take into consideration a broader ecosystem of Internet service providers, and that national cybersecurity responses should be designed in line with international human rights standards.
Attachments :	Article19 contribution to CWG-Internet Open Consultation 2021.pdf