between the rich countries and the poor nations, between the populations of the North and those of the South. It is for this reason that Tunisia took the initiative of calling for the convening, in 1998 of the World Summit on Information Society sponsored by the United Nations and organized under its auspices. 28. On the 16th, 17th and 18th November 2005, the meeting of the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society took place in Tunis. This meeting culminated in two important documents entitled: « The Tunis Commitment » and « The Tunis Diary ». The implications of these two documents are that much more vital as the control of the information highways affects the nucleus of civil and political rights: public information, freedom of expression, the secrets of private life and the protection of personal data, individual liberties. They can constitute a powerful vector of the right to human development just as they can be tools for segregation and domination, of hegemony and hindrance to the sovereignty of less endowed States. IV- Consolidation of Civil and Political Rights 29. The measures and laws consolidating the mechanisms of man’s civil and political rights have been succeeding each other at a growing pace since 1995. 30. Tunisia has ratified most of the international human rights instruments. Although the international instruments, under the terms of Article 32 of the Constitution, are at a higher level to the national laws and take effect immediately on their official publication, Tunisia has harmonised its national legislation with the international standards of the protection of human rights. 31. Tunisia has ratified notably the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the prevention and repression of the crimes of genocide, the Convention on the indefeasibility of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Tunisia has also ratified the Convention against Torture and other penalties or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, without any reservations. It has made declarations on the basis of the Articles 21 and 22 of this Convention. 32. Within the framework of the consolidation of human rights, important laws had been promulgated, including notably: - The law n° 95-9 of 23rd January 1995, repealing rehabilitation labour and that of civil service reinforcing the humanist policy which had already initiated the repeal of forced labour; - The law n° 95-92 of 9th November 1995, relative to the Child Protection Code aimed at inculcating in the citizen, from an early age, the values of liberty, justice, tolerance, solidarity, openness, of participation in public affairs; - Organic law n° 98-77 of 2nd November 1998, amending the law n° 75-40 of 14th May 1975 relative to Passports and Travel Documents sanctioning the freedom of movement by granting the judiciary the right to examine all disputes between the Public Service and the Public Servant pertaining to his right to leave Tunisian territory and his right to return to it; 11