The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) concluded today with a consensus highlighting the importance of the rule of law and global cooperation to ensure a safe cyberspace. The three-day Forum, under the title ‘Internet of Trust, brought more than 3,000 participants from 143 countries together to confront issues ranging from cyber security to ethics, fake news and the spread of disinformation, hate speech, data as a cross-cutting issue, regulation of the internet and people’s rights online.
Addressing high-level attendees at the closing of the Forum, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination, Fabrizio Hochschild, stressed that it was necessary to address the global deficit of trust between and within countries, noting that the industry, governments as well as individual users need accountability for their actions.
“Society, including a digital one, cannot function without trust.” He further highlighted that change is needed to safeguard the public core of the Internet and in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in today’s landscape of rapid technological changes.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/administration/2018-internet-governance-forum-closes.html
Also see:
Internet Governance Forum 2018: Joint Declaration from European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Members of the European Parliament
At the Internet Governance Forum 2018 in Paris, European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Members of the European Parliament Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Gunnar Hökmark, Julia Reda, Yana Toom and Julie Ward signed a common Declaration.
This year‘s Internet Governance Forum took place alongside the Paris Peace Forum, on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I, recognising that increasingly peace, security and stability must involve the digital realm. In the wake of two catastrophic wars in the last century, both the United Nations and the European Union projects were created, two milestones that continue to remind us every day of the importance of appropriate models and institutions for governance. More than ever we now need to ensure that we are well equipped for good governance of the cyber sphere.
The internet must be reclaimed as a common good for humanity that can drive improvements in society and the economy. Building and maintaining an open, transparent and inclusive system of internet governance will help to ensure these benefits accrue to all.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/internet-governance-forum-2018-joint-declaration-european-commissioner-mariya-gabriel-and
We Won’t Save the Internet by Breaking It
On the anniversary of the armistice ending the First World War, more than 40 countries stood together for security online by signing the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. The call, which sets out a list of challenges the world needs to tackle, seems to be promising on paper. From hacking to harming the public core – all of this needs to be addressed. And it needs to be addressed urgently.
https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2018/11/we-wont-save-the-internet-by-breaking-it/