JANUARY 2025 — Estonia assumes the Chairship of the Coalition, highlighting priorities around AI governance, digital resilience, and freedom of expression online.
JULY 2025 — During the WSIS+20 High-Level Forum in Geneva, the FOC coordinates discussions on Internet governance coherence and implementation of the DPI Principles.
JANUARY 2024 — The Kingdom of the Netherlands assumes the Chairship of the Coalition and launches the Program of Action 2024, emphasising the FOC’s role in shaping global Internet governance processes, advancing responsible AI governance, and strengthening coordination among Members and partners.
MAY 2024 — GENEVA, SWITZERLAND The first Strategy & Coordination Meeting under the Netherlands’ Chairship was held on the margins of the WSIS + 20 High-Level Forum. Discussions focused on FOC engagement in the UN Global Digital Compact and the Pact for the Future, coordination among Task Forces on AI, information integrity, and Internet shutdowns, and early steps toward a new capacity-building framework for FOC diplomats.
SEPTEMBER 2024 — The FOC holds a Ministerial Meeting in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, convening government and multistakeholder representatives to discuss responsible AI and information integrity online.
OCTOBER 2024 — THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS The second meeting reviewed progress under the 2024 Program of Action and prepared the transition to Estonia’s 2025 Chairship. Members discussed cooperation on AI governance, digital public infrastructure, and information integrity, alongside sessions on strengthening diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility within the Coalition. A capacity-building day was held in partnership with the Media Freedom Coalition and the European University Institute, followed by forward-looking discussions on FOC coordination and engagement in global digital-governance processes.
JANUARY 2023 — The United States assumes the Chairship of the Coalition and launches the Program of Action 2023, focusing on emerging technologies, digital inclusion and global norm-setting.
The Ottawa Agenda: Recommendations for Freedom Online is published, offering a refreshed set of recommendations to guide the Coalition’s work in the digital-age era.
MARCH 2023 — WASHINGTON, D.C.The first Strategy & Coordination Meeting under the U.S. Chairship took place alongside the Summit for Democracy. Discussions centred on the implementation of the Program of Action 2023, improving coordination across multilateral fora, and connecting FOC diplomacy to country-level activities. The meeting also featured a public session co-hosted with the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab on advancing inclusion and addressing the opportunities and risks of digital technologies.
JUNE 2023 — SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA Convened during RightsCon 2023, this meeting deepened engagement with regional partners and explored strategies for more rapid, coordinated responses to online human-rights violations. Participants reviewed progress on the revision of the FOC Terms of Reference, exchanged updates from active Task Forces, and discussed the forthcoming Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age.
2023 — The Task Force on Information Integrity Online (TFIIO) was established, with the aim to promote transparent, rights-respecting approaches to tackling disinformation and enhancing trustworthy information ecosystems.
SEPTEMBER 2023 — NEW YORK, UNITED STATES On the margins of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, the FOC held a Ministerial Meeting on Advancing the 2030 Agenda through Inclusive and Rights-Respecting Digital Policy. The meeting gathered Ministers and senior officials from FOC Member States, key G77 partners, the ITU, and the Advisory Network to discuss digital inclusion, connectivity, and technology as an enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals.
NOVEMBER 2023 — GENEVA, SWITZERLAND The closing meeting of the U.S. Chairship reflected on outcomes from 2023 and prepared for the Netherlands’ incoming Chairship. Sessions examined the Coalition’s role in shaping the Global Digital Compact and WSIS + 20 processes, highlighted coordination between Geneva and New York networks, and included a learning workshop on artificial intelligence and human rights co-organised with the Advisory Network, GESDA, and OHCHR’s B-Tech Project.
JANUARY 2022 — Canada assumes the Chairship of the Coalition and publishes the Program of Action 2022, prioritising digital inclusion, connectivity and rights-respecting technology governance.
MAY 2022 – The first in-person Strategy & Coordination Meeting is held under the Canadian Chairship of the FOC in Paris, France. Discussions provided an opportunity to highlight the FOC’s Ottawa Agenda development process as a continued opportunity to reiterate commitments and look to the future of the Internet freedom agenda.
JUNE 2022 -– The FOC holds regional consultations across North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific to support the development of the Ottawa Agenda.
SEPTEMBER 2022 — The FOC holds a high-level meeting in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly to discuss human-centric digital governance and strengthen cooperation among Members and stakeholders.
OCTOBER 2022 – The final Strategy & Coordination Meeting under the Canadian Chairship is held in Rome, Italy. Discussions allowed the Coalition to coordinate around the process of amending the Stockholm Terms of Reference with respect to Observer Status, further expanding the FOC’s outreach. In addition, Canada, with support from Italy, held the FOC’s first Expo, where local and international stakeholders convened to share recent developments, coordinate upcoming activities and discuss strategies to advance human rights, both online and offline.
DECEMBER 2022 — The End-of-Year Report 2022 highlights renewed Member engagement and deepened outreach across Geneva and New York diplomatic networks.
MARCH 2021 — The Silicon Valley Working Group was established, with the aim to strengthen engagement between governments, technology companies and civil society on Internet freedom and platform accountability.
NOVEMBER 2021 – The 10th-anniversary Conference of the Coalition culminated in a high-level Ministerial Meeting which launched the “Freedom Online Coalition 10th Anniversary Helsinki Declaration — Towards a Rules-based, Democratic and Digitally Inclusive World”, reinforcing the commitment to human rights online and digital inclusion.
DECEMBER 2021 — The Task Force on Internet Shutdowns (TFIS) was established, with the aim of coordinating multistakeholder action to prevent and respond to intentional disruptions of Internet access.
APRIL 2020 — The Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (T-FAIR) was established, with the aim to promote responsible AI governance.
2020 — The Task Force on Digital Equality was established, with the aim to advance digital inclusion and equal access to online opportunities, building on the FOC’s Joint Statement on Digital Inclusion.
