The Dutch and French Foreign Ministers Maxime Verhagen and Bernard Kouchner have issued a statement in which they announce that the creation of an international working group which is to draw up an ‘international code of conduct’ against censorship on the internet.
The two ministers say that the number of countries censoring the so-called new media has substantially increased in the past few years.In a large number of countries users of the internet are punished for expressing their opinion. Mr Verhagen and Mr Kouchner want to ensure that the ‘internet remains a universal and open medium where fundamental rights are being protected’.
The working group is to comprise countries which promote the protection of freedoms on the internet, as well as international organisations and champions of human rights. The participation of internet companies is seen as essential. The two ministers propose a code of conduct for these companies regarding the export of technologies for filtering and blocking internet content.
In addition, a mechanism for monitoring freedom of speech on the internet is to be put in place, as well as one for providing assistance to cyber dissidents.Participants in the working group are to investigate possibilities for creating a legal framework for the ‘universality of the internet’ to ensure that everybody can freely make use of the medium.
