Global Information Society Watch 2009: Access to Online Information and Knowledge

232 Pages·2009·6.281 MB·English

by  Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Humanist Institute for Cooperation with developing countries (Hivos)

9 Global InformatIon SocIety Watch (GISWatch) 2009 is the third in a 9 Global InformatIon
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0 series of yearly reports critically covering the state of the information society 0
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from the perspectives of civil society organisations across the world.

h h
SocIety Watch 2009
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t t
a GISWatch has three interrelated goals: a
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• Surveying the state of the field of information and communications Focus on access to online information and knowledge
y y
technology (ICT) policy at the local and global levels
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– advancing human rights and democracy
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I • encouraging critical debate I
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• Strengthening networking and advocacy for a just, inclusive information
S S
society.
n n
o o
I I
t Each year the report focuses on a particular theme. GISWatch 2009 focuses t
a a
m on access to online information and knowledge – advancing human rights and m
r democracy. It includes several thematic reports dealing with key issues in the r
o field, as well as an institutional overview and a reflection on indicators that track o
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n access to information and knowledge. There is also an innovative section on n
I visual mapping of global rights and political crises. I

l l
a a
b In addition, 48 country reports analyse the status of access to online information b
o o
and knowledge in countries as diverse as the Democratic Republic of Congo,
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G Mexico, Switzerland and Kazakhstan, while six regional overviews offer a bird’s G
eye perspective on regional trends.
GISWatch is a joint initiative of the Association for Progressive Communications
(APC) and the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries
(Hivos).
Global InformatIon SocIety Watch
2009 Report
www.GISWatch.org
AssociAtion for Progressive communicAtions (APc)
And HumAnist institute for cooPerAtion witH develoPing countries (Hivos)
Tapa GISW2009.indd 1 21/10/09 04:25 PM
Global Information Society Watch 2009
Global Information Society Watch
2009
Global Information Society Watch 2009
Steering committee
Anriette Esterhuysen (APC)
Paul Maassen (Hivos)
Loe Schout (Hivos)
Coordinating committee
Monique Doppert (Hivos)
Karen Higgs (APC)
Natasha Primo (APC)
Project coordinator
Natasha Primo
Editor
Alan Finlay
Assistant editor
Lori Nordstrom
Publication production
Karen Higgs
Graphic design
monocromo
[email protected]
Phone: [phone]
Cover illustration
Matias Bervejillo
Translation coordinator
Analía Lavin
Proofreading
Valerie Dee, Lori Nordstrom
Financial partners
Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos)
Swedish International Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Printed by
monocromo
Printed in Uruguay
Edición hecha al amparo del Art. 79 de la Ley 13.349
Dep. Legal 350401
Global Information Society Watch
Published by APC and Hivos
2009
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence <creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/>
Some rights reserved.
ISBN 92-95049-73-X
APC-200911-CIPP-R-EN-P-0065
Dedicated to A.K. Mahan - an activist who valued
intellectual rigour and concrete outcomes.
APC and Hivos would like to thank the Swedish International
Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swiss Agency
for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for their support
for Global Information Society Watch 2009. SDC is contributing
to building participation in Latin America and the Caribbean
and Sida in Africa.
Table of contents
Preface ............................................................................ 9 Colombia .............................................................. 106
Introduction: Access to online information Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC) ................ 109
and knowledge – advancing human rights Congo, Republic of ............................................... 111
and democracy ...............................................................11 Costa Rica ............................................................ 114
Croatia .................................................................. 117
THEMATIC REPORTS
Egypt ..................................................................... 120
Intellectual property rights .............................................17
Ethiopia ................................................................ 123
Information and democracy: Accessing the law ............19
India ..................................................................... 127
Information and livelihoods ........................................... 21
Iraq ....................................................................... 131
Knowledge rights .......................................................... 24
Jamaica ................................................................ 135
Access to libraries ........................................................ 27
Japan .................................................................... 139
Access to educational materials .................................. 29
Jordan ................................................................... 142
Open standards ............................................................. 31
Kazakhstan ........................................................... 144
Open culture .................................................................. 33
Kenya .................................................................... 147
INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW Korea, Republic of ............................................... 150
Institutional overview .................................................... 37 Kyrgyzstan ............................................................ 153
Mexico .................................................................. 156
MEASURING PROGRESS
Morocco ................................................................ 159
Measuring progress .......................................................43
Namibia ................................................................ 161
Netherlands .......................................................... 164
MAPPING DEMOCRACY
Nigeria .................................................................. 168
Conducting social research with the web ..................... 49
Occupied Palestinian Territory ............................ 171
REGIONAL AND COUNTRY REPORTS Pakistan ................................................................ 174
Introduction ................................................................... 61 Paraguay .............................................................. 177
Regional reports Peru ...................................................................... 179
North America ......................................................... 63 Philippines ........................................................... 183
Latin America and the Caribbean .......................... 67 Romania ............................................................... 187
Africa ...................................................................... 70 Rwanda ................................................................. 191
Middle East and North Africa ................................. 73 Saudi Arabia ......................................................... 194
Europe .................................................................... 75 South Africa .......................................................... 197
South Asia .............................................................. 80 Spain .................................................................... 201
Country reports Switzerland ........................................................... 204
Algeria .................................................................... 83 Syria ..................................................................... 207
Argentina ................................................................ 86 Tajikistan .............................................................. 210
Bangladesh ............................................................. 89 Tunisia .................................................................. 213
Bosnia and Herzegovina ........................................ 92 Uganda ................................................................. 216
Brazil ...................................................................... 95 Uruguay ................................................................ 220
Bulgaria .................................................................. 98 Uzbekistan ............................................................ 223
Cameroon ............................................................. 101 Zambia ................................................................. 226
Chile ..................................................................... 104 Zimbabwe ............................................................. 229

Preface
Freedom of expression and the free flow of GISWatch 2009 is dedicated to Amy K. Mahan.
information and knowledge are essential to Amy was part of GISWatch since its conception
democratic societies. Therefore the focus and, as a special contributor, wrote the section
of this year’s Global Information Society called “Measuring progress” for GISWatch 2007
Watch (GISWatch) report is “access to online and GISWatch 2008. If not for her untimely death
information and knowledge – advancing human on 5 March 2009, she would have undoubtedly
rights and democracy”. been part of GISWatch 2009. Amy touched all
who worked with her, leaving a legacy of activist
GISWatch aims to be a leading platform for work that aspires to combine intellectual rigour
civil society perspectives on the state of the and concrete outcomes that make a difference in
information society. Through encouraging the lives of people who lack access to resources
individuals and organisations to contribute, it and power.
also aims to strengthen and support networking
platforms, and build capacity in research, analysis We are pleased to present to you the third
and writing. edition of the report. We truly believe this
critical contribution to building a people-centred
The rationale for this annual process of stocktaking information society will eventually have its impact
– resulting in a print and online report – is that on policy development processes across the
it helps to give focus and context to the policy world. n
development process, and to civil society
networking and advocacy at the local, regional and Anriette Esterhuysen
global levels. Director, Association for Progressive
Communications (APC)
GISWatch wants to help overcome disparities
Manuela Monteiro
in access to ICTs while also advocating for
Director, Humanist Institute for Cooperation
human rights, promoting education and public
with Developing Countries (Hivos)
access to information, women’s empowerment
and economic prosperity. This can only
be accomplished – according to the Tunis
Commitment – through the involvement,
cooperation and partnership of governments,
the private sector, civil society and international
organisations.
Preface / 9