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Name :	O'BRIEN, Laura
Date :	August 20, 2021
Organization :	Access Now
Country :	United States
Job Title :	UN Advocacy Officer
Contribution :	SUMMARY This submission raises three main points to address the role of the internet and international Internet-related public policy in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and possible future pandemics. First, the ITU must prioritize expanding meaningful access to the internet because — as amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic — meaningful access is essential for participation in daily life and exercising human rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic and other potential crises, people need access to the internet to find out how to protect themselves and others, access telehealth services, communicate with their loved ones, and work and learn remotely, among many other things that contribute to social, political, cultural, and economic development and the realisation of human rights, including access to health and education. It is therefore imperative that Member States’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and possible future pandemics immediately removes, and does not impose, barriers to internet connectivity. Second, emergency measures recommended by the ITU, and implemented by Member States, must take other internet service providers (ISPs), including community networks (CNs), into consideration, or digital divides will increase worldwide. Third, while the issue of cybersecurity has amplified amid the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding ITU discussions and its mandate into other aspects of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as cybersecurity, is not appropriate. The ITU has a clear and narrow mission and objective: to facilitate the interoperability of telecommunications infrastructure. The ITU should therefore not seek to duplicate work at a time when more is needed of the ITU in its core mandate. The scope of the ITU’s work should therefore remain restricted to its highly particularized capacity and expertise.
Attachments :	Access Now Submission CWG-Internet Online Open Consultation - 20 Aug 2021.pdf