The 2023 Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which took place from 8-12 October in Kyoto, Japan, featured four multistakeholder panel sessions hosted by the FOC and its sub-entities. The IGF provided an opportunity for the Coalition to highlight priority policy areas and related outputs, including the publication of the Joint Statement on Internet Shutdowns and Elections, and the Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age. Summaries of the sessions, in addition to recordings available via YouTube, can be found below:
- (Re)-Building Trust Online: A Call to Action
- Elections and the Internet: free, fair and open?
- Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age: Turning Principles into Action
- Leveraging the FOC at International Organizations
(Re)-Building Trust Online: A Call to Action | 8:30 – 9:30 JST, Monday, 9 October
Moderated By: Elonnai Hickok, Managing Director, Global Network Initiative
Opening remarks: Allison Peters, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State
Panellists: Jan Gerlach, Director of Public Policy, Wikimedia Foundation; Ivan Sigal, Executive Director, Global Voices; and Klara Therese Christensen, Head of Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
This session was facilitated by the Action Coalition on Trustworthy Information Online, and highlighted the recent establishment of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) Task Force on Trustworthy Information Online (TFTIO), which is co-Chaired by Denmark and Advisory Network (FOC-AN) member Wikimedia Foundation. The multistakeholder session introduced a vision statement and set of principles for ‘Safeguarding A Trustworthy Global Information Ecosystem’, which will continue to be developed under the TFTIO, and which are currently as follows:
- Meaningful multi-stakeholder engagement;
- Protecting and promoting international human rights standards;
- A diverse, trustworthy and equitable Internet.
Allison Peters, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State provided opening remarks, underscoring how information literacy and access to digital media are crucial to empower individuals to freely express themselves and to critically evaluate information online. Ms. Peters highlighted U.S. efforts to promote trustworthy information online through initiatives to address disinformation, and by supporting an independent media, addressing critical needs for at risk journalists, and bolstering media outlets’ resilience to legal and regulatory challenges. Noting the importance of promoting and protecting open and resilient information ecosystems, Ms. Peters emphasised the need to be mindful that approaches to promote trustworthy information online do not inadvertently undermine democratic principles and fundamental freedoms, especially in light of governments claiming broad powers to repress peaceful dissent and independent media.
Speakers explored key opportunities and challenges to fostering trustworthy information in digital spaces, and underscored civic and participatory approaches to information and knowledge sharing. The panel noted concerning trends such as the consolidation of power over speech online, including governments placing the responsibility of content regulation on media platforms. The need to involve broader communities in these decisions was noted as essential, especially in determining what is and is not trustworthy, and considering that lack of participation can lead to an increase in the prevalence of disinformation. Panellists also highlighted the need for fostering open, interoperable platforms that promote user agency, where individuals can communicate equitably.
In introducing the principles for ‘Safeguarding A Trustworthy Information Ecosystem’, the panel noted the importance of setting values that underscore what is needed to build trustworthy information spaces and open knowledge. Speakers noted the mandate of TFTIO in facilitating multistakeholder input to share best practices and strategic thinking, and engaging directly with governments to increase awareness on the impact of regulation globally that may empower or prevent individuals from participating in the online information ecosystem. The Task Force co-Chairs emphasised the timeliness of these discussions in light of the rise of platform regulation that may have significant consequences on the rights of users, and noted the opportunity to advocate for participatory approaches in the creation of communities, knowledge, and information.
Audience members were invited to provide feedback on the Principles, with participants noting the need to take into account obstacles of access to information (e.g. language accessibility), strategies for operationalising the Principles and facilitating government and industry stakeholder buy-in, and highlighting systemic-level challenges that impact trustworthy information online. Panellists welcomed the broader stakeholder community to continue engaging in the work of the Task Force to support the development and implementation of the Principles.
Elections and the Internet: free, fair and open? | 9:45 – 10:45 JST, Tuesday, 10 October
Moderated By: Kanbar Hossein-Bor, Deputy Director Democratic Governance & Media Freedom, United Kingdom (U.K.) Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Panellists: Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Campaign Manager, Access Now; Andrea Ngombet, Founder, Sassoufit Collective; Ben Graham Jones, Consultant, Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Nicole Stemlau, Head, Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford; and Sarah Moulton, Deputy Director Democracy and Technology, National Democratic Institute
This session was facilitated by the FOC Task Force on Internet Shutdowns (TFIS), co-Chaired by the U.K. and FOC-AN members Access Now and the Global Network Initiative. The session examined causes, trends and impacts of Internet shutdowns and disruptions, and explored how the multistakeholder community can work together to anticipate, prepare for, and where possible prevent Internet shutdowns before they occur, with a focus on identifying practical steps that can be taken ahead of ‘high risk’ elections in 2024.
Kanbar Hossein-Bor, Deputy Director of Democratic Governance & Media Freedom at the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, provided opening remarks, noting that Internet shutdowns pose a significant threat to the free flow of information and are a fundamental impediment to the ability to exercise human rights, underscoring the importance of a multistakeholder approach to addressing these challenges. Mr. Hossein-Bor highlighted the FOC Joint Statement on Internet Shutdowns and Elections, launched during the session, which calls on States to refrain from shutting down the Internet and digital communications platforms amid electoral periods, as aligned with States’ international human rights obligations and commitments.
Speakers underlined the critical role access to the Internet and digital media platforms play in promoting free, transparent, and fair electoral processes. Panellists spoke on the negative reality of Internet shutdowns and their impact, noting its destructive consequences on economic prosperity and access to health care, as well as obscuring human rights violations. Panellists highlighted how Internet disruptions and preventing access to platforms during election periods are often justified by governments as a means to ensure national security and to mitigate disinformation, even though shutdowns and disruptions have proven to further exacerbate security risks, especially among already vulnerable groups.
Speakers also highlighted big tech companies’ lack of engagement and product oversight in local contexts (e.g. hate speech moderation in local languages). Additionally, when examining government use of Internet shutdowns, panellists flagged governments’ lack of knowledge and experience regarding alternative tools to address security concerns amid elections in contexts of violence. In these contexts, full and partial shutdowns were used as a form of resistance and expression of sovereignty by governments in response to companies and systems they felt powerless to and did not know how to engage with.
In addition to underlining the need for a multistakeholder approach and calling on telecommunications and digital media companies to ensure people have access to a secure, open, free, and inclusive Internet throughout electoral processes, panellists also recognised the role of disinformation as a risk cited by governments to justify Internet shutdowns and disruptions during elections. In order to address this challenge, speakers noted the following recommendations:
- Narrative forecasting: Anticipating the types of narratives that may be deployed at different points in the electoral process, and preparing a response;
- Overcoming selection bias: Finding ways to bring fact-based information into the right spaces;
- Preemptive responses to disinformation: Drafting preemptive responses to disinformation in order to reduce response time and minimise the spread of disinformation.
- Collaboration between civil society and Big Tech: Encouraging collaboration between local civil society organisations and big tech companies to address online content moderation in local contexts.
During the Q&A session, audience members inquired about government and civil society strategies to address and prevent Internet shutdowns, emphasising additional considerations to take into account when seeking to promote fair and open elections. The U.K. closed the session by reiterating the importance of 2024 as a key election year, and also highlighted the publication of the Oxford Statement on the Universal Access to Information and Digital connectivity, developed following the Global Conference for the International Day for Universal Access to Information 2023.
Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age: Turning Principles into Action | 8:30 – 10:00 JST, Wednesday, 11 October
Moderated By: Lisa Poggiali, Senior Democracy, Data and Technology Specialist, United States (U.S.) Agency for International Development (USAID); Sidney Leclercq, Senior Program Officer for Democratic and Inclusive Governance, International Development Research Centre
Remarks: Vera Zakem, Chief Digital Development and Rights Officer, USAID; Allison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State; Shannon Green, Assistant to the Administrator of the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance, USAID;
Speakers: Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming, USAID; Guus van Zwoll, Senior Policy Officer, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Immaculate Kassait, Commissioner, Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya; Juan Carlos Lara, Executive Director, Derechos Digitales; Zach Lampell, Senior Legal Advisor, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law; Michael Karimian, Director of Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft; and Adrian Di Giovanni, Team Leader, Democratic and Inclusive Governance, IDRC
This panel session was co-organised by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Canada’s International Development Research Center (IDRC), co-Chairs of the FOC Funding Coordination Group (FCG), in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, under the FOC Chairship of the U.S. Government in 2023. The event announced the publication of the Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age, the first international framework for donor accountability and cooperation on digital issues that calls for digital engagements and investments to align with respect for human rights and democratic values. The Donor Principles respond to a call from civil society stakeholders for development agencies to introduce safeguarding procedures and processes, related to digital development and digital transformation programming, to better protect partners and local communities from growing instances of digital repression.
Shannon Green, Assistant to the Administrator of the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at USAID, issued a call to action for donor governments to make concrete commitments, aligned with the Donor Principles, to ensure accountability for the role they play in shaping the global digital ecosystem. Examples of commitments included: integrating human rights impact assessments into program design and evaluation processes, allocating dedicated funding to support partners and local communities, and supporting partner countries to develop and implement strong legal and regulatory frameworks, among others.
Vera Zakem, Chief Digital Development and Rights Officer at USAID, provided opening remarks, noting the positive impact of development support for digitalisation, while also recognising a concerning trend toward digital repression and the need for its mitigation. Ms. Zakem highlighted the Donor Principles, which call on governments with international development and assistance programming to advance an affirmative, rights-respecting agenda to promote a digital future that upholds the commitment to ‘do no harm’.
Allison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the U.S. Department of State, provided high-level remarks, noting the Donor Principles reinforce the Coalition’s vision to promote and protect human rights, to counter the rise of digital authoritarianism and the misuses of digital technologies, to advance norms on artificial intelligence based on human rights, and to promote safe online spaces. Ms. Peters underscored the need to enable individual dignity and economic prosperity, as well as the importance of harnessing technology in a manner that is open, sustainable, secure, and respectful of democratic values and human rights.
The panellists explored ways to move the Donor Principles forward, including the need to consider concrete implementation, as well as incorporating them into FOC’s work in 2024 and beyond. Key takeaways included the importance of adapting the Donor Principles through localised knowledge in local contexts to serve local communities; the need to cooperate with partners, while focusing on building their capacity, as well as leveraging good practices and resources; and the importance of creating an ecosystem and legal frameworks that support the implementation of the Donor Principles across stakeholder groups. In addition, the panellists underlined the fact that the Donor Principles can be used for advocacy at international and domestic levels, as well as technical and policy levels, i.e. for articulating what gaps exist in existing processes and for encouraging meaningful multistakeholder open processes.
Finally, following multistakeholder breakout sessions exploring concrete steps to implement the Donor Principles, key findings were discussed in plenary. Key points included: the need to consider how to implement the Donor Principles without overburdening recipients with additional labour, which could act as a roadblock to the delivery and sustainability of resources; the importance of collaborating with diverse groups, especially those already marginalised, and employing a bottom up approach when leveraging them; and the need for mechanisms and tools for implementation that allow organisations to see their strategies’ alignment with the Donor Principles.
Leveraging the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) at International Organizations | 8:30 – 9:30 JST, Thursday, 12 October
Moderated By: Maria Paz Canales, Head of Legal, Policy and Research, Global Partners Digital
Panellists: Aaryn Zhou, Deputy Director, Global Affairs Canada, Adeboye Adegoke, Senior Manager, Paradigm Initiative; Allison Peters, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State; Ernst Noorman, Cyber Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; and Verónica Ferrari, Global Policy Advocacy Coordinator, Association for Progressive Communications.
In this session, Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands (the past, current, and future government Chairs of the FOC), as well as two civil society stakeholders serving on the FOC Advisory Network (FOC-AN), discussed the opportunities and challenges of using the FOC to shape global norms and advocate for human rights defenders, civil society, journalists, and other stakeholders in multilateral institutions and processes.
Canada shared lessons learned during their 2022 Chairship of the FOC, highlighting engagement in multilateral fora and processes such as the coordination between the FOC Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights (TFAIR) and the network of FOC Members’ UNESCO delegations in Paris ahead of the negotiations on UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI as a positive example of a proactive and deliberative approach to multistakeholder discussions. Highlighting the importance of inclusivity, and bringing together multilateral, policy, and technical expertise across different stakeholder groups, Canada emphasised the FOC as a valuable platform for facilitating such discussions in order to shape global norms.
The U.S., current FOC Chair, highlighted its efforts to bolster the FOC and its impact on international and multilateral processes in technology-related issues. Under the U.S. Chairship, the Coalition has expanded and built its capacity to engage in and facilitate diplomatic coordination around relevant processes. This was most visible in the FOC’s diplomatic networks in Geneva, where Member States coordinated in advance of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) New and emerging technologies resolution; in New York, where Member States and the FOC-AN discussed the Ad Hoc Committee’s (AHC) Cybercrime Treaty; and in Paris, where the FOC coordinated with the FOC-AN around UNESCO’s guidelines for regulating digital platforms. The U.S. noted the successes of raising new issues to the FOC, including that of surveillance technologies and their impacts on human rights, a topic on which the FOC issued the Guiding Principles on Government Use of Surveillance Technologies and the Joint Statement on the Heightened Risks Associated with Surveillance Technologies and the Importance of Safeguards in the Use of these Tools. The U.S. also cited challenges during its Chairship, including the occasional siloed approach of governmental human rights and cyber departments on these issues, as well as the visibility of the FOC, flagging that there is still room for improvement, including diversifying membership and bringing in more Global Majority voices.
The Netherlands, incoming Chair of the FOC, commended the previous Chairs on their Chairship of the Coalition, highlighting Canada’s leadership in the work on artificial intelligence through TFAIR, and the U.S.’ internal housekeeping efforts and bolstering diplomatic coordination. The Netherlands noted upcoming processes that are pivotal for the governance of the Internet and digital technologies, including the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and WSIS+20, as well as initiatives such as the Global Declaration on Information Integrity Online. Recognising the growing threat of shrinking civic spaces, the Coalition was flagged as a key platform to coordinate positions in these important fora, as well as to implement existing frameworks and initiatives. The Netherlands emphasised the importance of including Global Majority perspectives, and flagged its ambition to expand the FOC’s membership under their Chairship, as well as aim to facilitate meaningful engagement by existing Members to ensure the FOC’s position in processes like the GDC are supported and realistic.
FOC-AN speakers from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Paradigm Initiative discussed the benefit and importance of the FOC as a facilitator of inclusive and diverse conversations between all stakeholders. Noting there is still room for improvement, the speakers highlighted that the FOC has proven itself as a valuable forum for multistakeholder collaboration that works to incorporate and engage voices of marginalised and vulnerable groups, citing the FOC’s Task Forces and Working Groups as a key example. FOC-AN representatives underlined the value of the FOC in terms of establishing principles of accountability and legitimacy in its processes to develop outputs and language, and emphasised the Coalition’s power to shape global norms when it comes to the potential inequalities and implications of technological systems for human rights and sustainable development. Panellists also iterated it is critical that the FOC be a key voice and mechanism in which like-minded partners can coordinate perspectives in relevant international processes such as the AHC Cybercrime Convention, the GDC, WSIS +20, and the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence to ensure marginalised and vulnerable groups are put at the heart of the human rights agenda, and to protect the multistakeholder model.
Speakers concluded the session by emphasising the importance of internal coordination within the FOC and its various mechanisms, and among different agencies and departments within governments, as well as the need to be more specific regarding expectations from Global Majority engagement, especially in cases where Member States do not have the resources to engage, in order to achieve this goal. Panellists also called for expanding collaboration with civil society organisations and external partners, citing the development of the Donor Principles on Human Rights in the Digital Age as a positive, inclusive example, and for more creative multistakeholder and multilateral coordination.
