Freedom Online Coalition - 15th Year Anniversary

In December 2026, the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) will mark its 15th anniversary. This milestone offers the opportunity to reflect on the Coalition’s achievements and learnings, and to shape its future role in advancing internet freedom and digital rights. To mark the occasion, Switzerland, FOC Chair 2026, aims to harness this opportunity and advance one of the key goals of the FOC 2026 Program of Action – operationalising multistakeholder approaches to digital governance.

Throughout 2026, the FOC will convene a structured consultation process to reflect on the Coalition’s milestone anniversary and generate practical resources and insights on how multistakeholder approaches can be implemented more effectively in digital governance.

The consultation process, inspired by the São Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines (SPMGs), will combine regional dialogues, consultations with key stakeholders, and a broader online public consultation, engaging governments, civil society, the private sector, and the technical community.

What to Expect

The anniversary consultations will shape the following:

  • A forward-looking, high-level FOC joint statement on the state of internet freedom and digital rights at the Coalition’s 15-year milestone
  • A set of practical resources to strengthen and support effective multistakeholder engagement across FOC Members

 

These outcomes will be launched at the final FOC Strategy and Coordination Meeting (SCM) of the Swiss Chairship in December 2026 (location to be confirmed), as part of the Coalition’s anniversary celebrations.

A Living Process

The anniversary effort is designed as an open and evolving process. This page will be regularly updated as consultations progress, sharing key moments, insights, and opportunities to engage. We invite you to follow along and contribute to shaping the future of multistakeholder digital governance.

Upcoming Events

  • Africa Regional Dialogue 1: Operationalising Multistakeholder Digital Governance for Inclusive and Resilient Futures
    • Part of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF)
    • Location: Room 2, Radisson Blu Hotel, Abidjan Airport, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire 
    • Date and Time: Wednesday, 15 April, 1:50 PM – 2:50 PM
    • Learn more here: https://drif.paradigmhq.org/ 

 

  • Africa Regional Dialogue 2
    • Taking place on the margins of RightsCon
    • Location: Room A108, Kenneth Kaunda Wing at MICC, Lusaka, Zambia 
    • Date and Time: 14:00 (Central Africa Time) on Thursday, May 7, 2026, 14:00-15:00
    • Learn more here: https://www.rightscon.org/ 

 

 

2023 Freedom Online Coalition