The final statement of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society is as much a framework for control of the ways the net is used as it is a call for "the freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information".

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His administration has agreed to enforce the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which is the legal framework that allows a state to control its own definition of marriage and avoid having to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

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"It is better for everyone if such uprisings come under control, and operate within the framework of the law, " explained Brig.

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The idea of this framework is to not only establish a digital identity, but also to provide individuals control over ownership and sharing of their data on the internet.

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Earlier, the 192 member states of the World Health Organisation voted unanimously to pass the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international treaty to clamp down on tobacco consumption.

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The Conference recommended that regional governments consider harmonising policies and the legal and regulatory framework for the development of public service broadcasting which should be independent of direct political control.

UNESCO: Education

The government and the EU must explore how vaccination might be used as part of an alternative and more flexible foot-and-mouth control strategy within an agreed international framework.

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The countries that conferred in South Africa were all parties to the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the so-called global tobacco treaty, which commits signatories to stop the promotion of smoking through advertising, and also to protect health policies from interference by the tobacco industry.

ECONOMIST: Smoking, governments and health