Orange and eight other global telecoms firms have partnered with the Global Network Initiative (GNI) in a two-year collaboration aimed at advancing freedom of expression and ensuring privacy rights in the ICT sector.
“Telecommunications play an essential role facilitating the free flow of information, and today the human rights and economic impacts of the sector are in the global spotlight,” said GNI executive director Susan Morgan
During the two year collaboration, members of the GNI and the Industry Dialogue are hoping to find a joint practical approach to promoting freedom of expression and privacy rights.
Orange is joined by Alcatel-Lucent, Millicom, Nokia Siemens Networks, Telefonica, Telenor, TeliaSonera, and Vodafone in belonging to the Telecommunications Industry Dialogue on Freedom of Expression and Privacy.
Other companies are invited to join the Industry Dialogue.
“This is a positive step from some of the world’s largest companies providing communications and Internet access to consumers around the world and we hope that this effort will lead to full implementation of human rights standards through membership in GNI,” said Arvind Ganesan, director of business and human rights at Human Rights Watch.
