US spying that have caused the current furor, particularly in Brazil lt;http://washingtonpost/world/national-security/brazils-president-condemns-nsa-spying/2013/09/24/fe1f78ee- 2525-11e3-b75d - 5b7f66349852_story.html gt; and Germany. But it was clear that those revelations provided the political momentum for Thursdays move.International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was written in 1966 and came into force in 1976, decades before the Internet transformed the way people around the world communicate. Article 17 of the covenant states that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honor and reputation. It also declares that everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
The covenant was formulated at a time when the Internet didnt exist, said a diplomat familiar with the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss confidential diplomatic negotiations. Everyone has the right to privacy, and the goal of this resolution is to apply those protections to online communications.and Germany are expected to formally introduce the resolution early next week. The draft has not been made public and is subject to negotiation among UN member states.
This is not just about spying, the diplomat said, but also about ensuring the privacy of citizens in their home states under their own home legislation.
It calls on countries to put an end to violations of that right, the diplomat added. People have to be protected offline and online.
