The Observer status of Taiwan within the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) has been renewed for a further two-year period, following a review by the FOC Steering Committee.
Taiwan became an Observer of the FOC in 2023 during the U.S. Chairship of the Coalition, following a successful application that highlighted its active participation in various international initiatives that align with the FOC’s mission to promote and protect human rights, both online and offline, worldwide.
Over the past two years, Taiwan has engaged in several FOC events and meetings, the most recent of which took place on the margins of the RightsCon Summit in Taipei in February 2025. Taiwan has also been represented at high-level FOC side-events held on the margins of the UN General Assembly, where the Coalition has brought together representatives from various stakeholder groups to promote a world where the Internet and digital technologies reinforce human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Taiwan has further demonstrated its commitment to advancing the FOC’s mission through its support of regional engagements, including at RightsCon 2025 and by hosting the side event “Promoting Trust Under the Age of AI and Emerging Technologies” during the Asia Pacific IGF (APrIGF) in 2024. Taiwan has also been an active participant in FOC sub-entities, such as the past Task Force on Information Integrity Online, which provide a mechanism to facilitate capacity building, coordination on key policy issues, and to support the implementation of Coalition outputs.
The renewal will see Taiwan maintain its status as an Observer, with the next review scheduled for February 2027, and continue supporting the FOC’s core principles and values as outlined in the Coalition’s foundational documents.
Observer status allows States and non-State entities to participate in multistakeholder discussions, engage in information sharing and capacity building activities, and further promote the FOC’s core principles. As stated in the Terms of Reference, the FOC Steering Committee may offer Observer status for States or non-State entities that are interested in joining the Coalition, but lack the resources to make a full commitment, and/or are invited to become observers after being unable to obtain Membership through the application process. Further information can be found via the following page: https://freedomonlinecoalition.com/get-involved/.
