Technology Transfer, Technology Dumping

1
Technology Transfer, Technology Dumping

• Computer Freedom and Privacy Conference,
• Berkeley, April 20-23, 2004
• Jagdish Parikh
• Human Rights Watch, New York
• http//www.hrw.org/

2
Technology Transfer, Technology Dumping

• Summary
• Technology transfers dont take place in a social
  vacuum
• Information and communications technology export
• "We are just following laws of land
• Corporate social responsibility for Internet
  industry

CFP 2004, Berkeley Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch
3
Technology transfers dont take place in a social
vacuum

• Companies are expected to follow local laws
• Factors shaping technology transfer (bi-lateral,
  multi-lateral agreements and voluntary code of
  conduct)
• Selected examples
• - Access to essential Medicine, national
  health emergency and threats to public health
  (WTO shaping technology transfer)
• Arms export and human rights violations
• Systemic failure to protect workers' human rights
  as an "unreasonable" trade practice
• Code of Conduct and UN Global compact

CFP 2004, Berkeley Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch
4
Information and Communication Technology export

• Industrialized countries invariably set the rules
  for the rest of the world
• Export to countries known for their human rights
  violations
• Few barriers to the trade in surveillance
  technologies

CFP 2004, Berkeley, Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch
5
"We are just following laws of land"

• Such argument means that
• Losing an opportunity to play a proactive role in
  opening space for citizens to express themselves
  freely.
• Possible risk making them partners / complicit in
  violations of human rights.
• Undermining the power and reputation of their
  products.

CFP 2004, Berkeley Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch
6
Corporate social responsibility for Internet
industry

• To Start with
• Need to recognize and practice standards that are
  increasingly commonplace in old industries such
  as apparel, footwear, and even oil and gas.
• Coordinated efforts required to combat abusive
  laws and proposals.

CFP 2004, Berkeley Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch
7
Corporate social responsibility for Internet
industry

• An attempts to
• Include meaningful, enforceable protections of
  human rights when trading arrangements exist
• Define their own voluntary codes of corporate
  conduct upholding human rights standards when
  there are no enforceable protections of human
  rights
• Engage in the international trade responsibly and
  not provide technology support to regimes that
  commit gross violations of international human
  rights or humanitarian law

CFP 2004, Berkeley Jagdish Parikh, Human
Rights Watch