‘Free Expression Online’ (FOEonline) Dynamic Coalition

The ‘Free Expression Online’ (FOEonline) Dynamic Coalition was established as a follow up to the first Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Greece in November 2006. It aims to further freedom of expression and the media on the Internet. It will provide an open platform to exchange information, advance initiatives in the field of Internet governance and freedom of expression and serve as an informal community to organize meetings and other initiatives, thus feeding into the IGF process for 2007 in Brazil and beyond.

FOEonline Written Contribution to IGF 2007 Rio agenda (14 May 2007)

FOEonline maintains a coalition website at www.foeonline.wordpress.com and an open mailing list.

Initial coalition partners include the following institutions and organizations or representatives thereof:

• Amnesty International (ai) UK
• Article 19
• communica-ch: Swiss platform for the information society
• Council of Europe
• The Danish Institute for Human Rights
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Institute of International Law and International Relations, University of Graz
• Internet Governance Project (IGP)
• IP Justice
• Net Dialogue
• The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
• Reporters Sans Frontières
• UNESCO
• The World Press Freedom Committee

FOEonline Contact:
Christian Möller, The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
christian_dot_moeller_at_osce_dot_org

Robin Gross, IP Justice
robin_at_ipjustice_dot_org

Geneva Declaration of Principles from 2003 World Summit on Information Society (WSIS):

4. We reaffirm, as an essential foundation of the Information Society, and as outlined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; that this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Communication is a fundamental social process, a basic human need and the foundation of all social organization. It is central to the Information Society. Everyone, everywhere should have the opportunity to participate and no one should be excluded from the benefits the Information Society offers.