Access to information

Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, has publicly expressed concern to the main international standards-setting body for the web, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), on the implementation of a technical change known as encrypted media extensions (EME). EME standardises a practice called digital rights managemen...

In a context where communications are accessible but not affordable for rural communities in South Africa, Zenzeleni Networks NPC is a locally owned and operated non-profit company (NPC)  that is providing services in one of the most disadvantaged rural areas in the country, to contribute to reducing their communication costs. To do so, they have installed and are operating a sol...

Internet freedom, according to the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2016, means access to any kind of information through the internet. Free flow of information. Nothing should hinder your access. However, the following issues must be considered: What is the authenticity of the information on the net? How was the data collected? Who did the validation of the data before processin...

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet and OpenNet Korea submit this report for the adoption of the List of Issues in order to review the Republic of Korea’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Through this document, APC, Jinbonet, and OpenNet Korea seek to provide the UN Committee on E...

A project registered as a cooperative, Zenzeleni means “do it yourselves” in isiXhosa, one of the official languages of South Africa. What led to this amazing community initiative? is the question featured on the project’s website. The short answer is prices, since compared to similar countries, South African communication costs are still very high. However, there is more to it than price...

Access to information is a fundamental right that needs to be realised in support of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs) – whether it’s information on life skills, social security grants, science and culture, or access to legal or educational resources. Access to information is also high on the global sustainable development agenda. As David Souter writes in an APC briefing d...

When we talk about economic, social and cultural rights we have to deal with the hard fact that realising them takes money. It costs money to build and staff hospitals that make the right to health a reality. It costs money to build and staff schools that make the right to education a reality. Not only does it cost money, but governments have to make choices. Economic, social and cultural right...

Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Mr. David Kaye, Mr. Joseph Cannataci, Mr. Maina Kiai, Mr. Michel Forst, Ms. Faith Pansy Tlakula, and Ms. Reine Alapini-Gansou cc: African Union African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Secretariat Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Secretariat Domestic & International Election Observer Missions to the Republic of Uganda East African Community Secretariat ...