German, Brazilian U.N. draft urges halt to excessive spying. Full Story: Germany and Brazil formally presented a resolution to a U.N. General Assembly committee on Thursday (November 7) that calls for an end to excessive electronic surveillance, data collection and other gross invasions of privacy. The draft resolution does not name any specific countries, although U.N. diplomats said it was clearly aimed at the United States, which has been embarrassed by revelations of a massive international surveillance program from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. While introducing the draft, Brazil's Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota said surveillance programs violate human rights. [Antonio De Aguiar Patriota, Brazil Ambassador, UN]: "The extraordinary advances in information and communication technologies in recent years have presented us with opportunities and challenges as regard to promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. As President Dilma Rousseff stated as she opened this year's General Debate, we are facing a situation of grave violations of human rights and civil liberties as a result of mass surveillance of personal communications and collection of data. She made clear that in the absence of the right to privacy, there can be no true freedom of opinion and expression and no effective democracy." German Ambassador Peter Wittig said reports about surveillance programs were alarming. [Peter Witting, German Ambassador]: "Over the past months, however, reports about mass surveillance of private communication and the collection of personal data have alarmed people all over the world. Where do we draw the line between legitimate security interests and the individual right to privacy? And how do we ensure that human rights are effectively protected both online and offline? Germany and Brazil believe that these complex and highly relevant questions require global answers. We therefore want to take this discussion to the most relevant international framework, namely the United Nations." The German-Brazilian draft calls on the 193-nation assembly "to take measures to put an end to violations of these rights and to create the conditions to prevent such violations, including by ensuring that relevant national legislation complies with their obligations under international human rights law." The resolution will likely undergo changes as it is debated in the General Assembly's Third Committee, which focuses on human rights. It is expected to be put to a vote in the committee later this month and then again in the General Assembly next month, diplomats said. Several diplomats said they would be surprised if the resolution did not receive the support of an overwhelming majority of U.N. member states. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both condemned the widespread snooping by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Charges that the NSA accessed tens of thousands of French phone records and monitored Merkel's mobile phone have caused outrage in Europe. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, unlike resolutions of the 15-nation Security Council. But assembly resolutions that enjoy broad international support can carry significant moral and political weight. For more news and videos visit ☛ http://ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C

• published: 08 Nov 2013
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