UNESCO organized earlier this year, an international multistakeholder conference to discuss Comprehensive Study on Internet-related issues. This major global study captures and explores global perspectives on the new and emerging trends that are shaping the Internet space and our future. The meeting proposed recommendations for responses to Internet-related issues in UNESCO’s fields of competence. There is many interesting and complex recommendations from this conference.
From Denmark we support the recommendations at the UNESCO's General Conference.
The debate on the internet is highly complex. It comprises very important subjects such as free flow of information, affordable and access to information, internet governance, net neutrality, legal conditions and responsibilities of internet intermediaries, issues related to hate speech and terrorists use of the internet to recruit and to spread propaganda, issues related to ethical and professional standards, intellectual property rights, cyber-security, and the right to privacy. These are issues where the CI Sector has done great work but they are also issues that calls for all programme sectors to work together in joint solutions-oriented activities, not least in the light of the limited financial and human resources.
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| Mogens B. Bjerregård in the chair at UNESCO |
UNESCO has demonstrated its capacity to work on global standards and act as a key convener for the ongoing multi-stakeholder based debate in regard to the complex Internet issues. The process leading up to the Connecting the Dots conference as well as the conference itself has been exemplary in regard to applying the multi-stakeholder principle.
Denmark fully supports both UNESCO’s principle on Internet universality and the R-O-A-M principles which mean that the internet should be Human Rights based, Open, Accessible and with Multi-stakeholder participation. It cannot be said too often that offline rights and fundamental freedoms should be equally valid online. The internet is today’s most powerful tool to disseminate information and knowledge, and only when this process is free and unhindered, enlightenment and empowerment will be a reality.
R-O-A-M principles: (i) that the Internet should be human Rights-based (ii) “Open”, (iii) “Accessible to all”, and (iv) nurtured byMulti-stakeholder participation.
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