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[Fwd: Int'l Crypto Resolution Released in Paris]



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          RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE FREEDOM TO USE CRYPTOGRAPHY

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                              25 SEPTEMBER 1996
                                PARIS, FRANCE

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WHEREAS the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is
now considering the development of an international policy for the use of
cryptography;

WHEREAS the use of cryptography implicates human rights and matters of
personal liberty that affect individuals around the world;

WHEREAS national governments have already taken steps to detain and to
harass users and developers of cryptography technology;

WHEREAS cryptography is already in use by human rights advocates who face
persecution by their national governments;

WHEREAS the privacy of communication is explicitly protected by Article 12
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 17 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and national law;

WHEREAS cryptography will play an increasingly important role in the ability
of citizens to protect their privacy in the Information Society;

RECOGNIZING that the OECD has made many substantial contributions to the
preservation of human rights and the protection of privacy in particular;

FURTHER RECOGNIZING that decisions about cryptography policy may gives rise
to communication networks that favor privacy or favor surveillance;

FURTHER RECOGNIZING that the promotion of key escrow encryption by
government poses a direct threat to the privacy rights of citizens;

THE FOLLOWING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, concerned with
matters of human rights, civil liberty, and personal freedom, have joined
together to

     URGE the OECD to base its cryptography policies on the fundamental
     right of citizens to engage in private communication;

     FURTHER URGE the OECD to resist policies that would encourage the
     development of communication networks designed for surveillance;
     and

     RECOMMEND that the OECD turn its attention to growing public
     concerns about the widespread use of surveillance technologies and
     the implications for Democratic Society and Personal Liberty
     around the world.

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RESPECTFULLY ENDORSED,

   * ALCEI (Electronic Frontiers Italy)

   * American Civil Liberties Union

   * Association des Utilisateurs d'Internet

   * CITADEL-EF France

   * Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

   * cyberPOLIS

   * Digital Citizens Foundation in the Netherlands

   * EFF-Austin

   * Electronic Frontier Australia

   * Electronic Frontier Canada

   * Electronic Privacy Information Center

   * NetAction

   * Privacy International

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