A/HRC/4/27 page 23 Annex JOINT DECLARATION Ambeyi Ligabo, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Eduardo Bertoni,14 the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Having discussed these issues in London and virtually with the assistance of ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression, Recalling and reaffirming their Joint Declarations of 26 November 1999, 30 November 2000, 20 November 2001, 10 December 2002, 18 December 2003 and 6 December 2004, Recognizing the huge and growing importance of the Internet as a vehicle for facilitating in practice the free flow of information and ideas that lies at the heart of the right to freedom of expression, Stressing the need for strict application of international guarantees of freedom of expression to the Internet, Aware of the ongoing debate about Internet governance and the concerns that have been raised about government interference in the Internet, Condemning attempts by some Governments to use the need to combat terrorism as a justification for adopting laws that unduly restrict freedom of expression, Concerned that the standard of restricting expression which amounts to incitement, hitherto well-established in the areas of public order and national security, is being eroded in favour of vague and potentially very overbroad terms, Noting the need for specialized mechanisms to promote freedom of expression in every region of the world and welcoming the appointment, by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, of a Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Adopt, on 21 December 2005, the following Declaration: On the Internet No one should be required to register with or obtain permission from any public body to operate an Internet service provider, website, blog or other online information dissemination system, including Internet broadcasting. This does not apply to registration with a domain name authority for purely technical reasons or rules of general application which apply without distinction to any kind of commercial operation. 14 Ignacio Álvarez replaced Mr. Bertoni on 15 March 2006.