The founders of the Digital Standards Organization recently convened in The Hague to develop a declaration that calls on governments to further the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a commitment to the adoption of open standards.

The declaration calls for a consideration of "a society in which full and effective participation in government and society, and access to public services, education and opportunity, are increasingly dependent upon access to electronic communications", along with other components of the digital and information age that precipitate the need for a global commitment to open standards.

Via the declaration, Governments are called upon to;

1. Procure only information technology that implements free and open standards;
2. Deliver e-government services based exclusively on free and open standards;
3. Use only free and open digital standards in their own activities.

An international call has been made for supporters of open standards to make their voices heard by signing The Hague declaration.

tags: The Hague International policy-law the-hague-decleration

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