About us

In 2012, the Coalition is chaired by the government of Kenya, which hosts the second Freedom Online Conference in Nairobi, September 6-7, 2012. During the conference, FOC members agree to the Nairobi Terms of Reference and the Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) fund is launched.

The FOC Secretariat is established to provide administrative support to the Coalition, maximise coordination efforts among members, and facilitate internal and external communications.

FOC Working Groups ‘An Internet Free and Secure’ and ‘Privacy and Transparency Online’ are formally set up through an open call for members.

From 2014 to 2015, the Coalition is chaired by the government of Mongolia, marking the first time the torch is carried by an Asian country. The fifth Freedom Online Conference is held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on May 4-­5, 2015. The FOC decides to renew the mandates of the FOC Working Groups and to undergo a 5-­year strategic review.

On October 17-18, 2016, the sixth Freedom Online Conference takes place in San José, Costa Rica. During the conference the San José Statement, the culmination of a 16-month long strategic review, is presented to the international community.

Following an open call for members and the subsequent selection process, the FOC announces the membership of the Coalition’s new multistakeholder body, the FOC Advisory Network, consisting of 30 non-governmental representatives.

In 2019-2020, the Chairship of the Coalition returns to the African continent. Ghana assumes the Chairship and is the third African country to Chair the FOC.

On January 1, Finland assumes the Chairship of the Coalition for the year 2021 with plans to mark the 10-year anniversary of the FOC at the Freedom Online Conference in Helsinki on December 2-3.

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.

Canada assumes the Chairship of the Coalition and publishes the Program of Action 2022, prioritising digital inclusion, connectivity and rights-respecting technology governance

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 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.

During the WSIS+20 High-Level Forum in Geneva, the FOC coordinates discussions on Internet governance coherence and implementation of the DPI Principles.