The Foreign Ministers of twenty states will meet in Paris in October and then later this year in the Netherlands to agree on common measures that would strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet. These conferences have been decided during a meeting in Paris held last week.
A meeting on the Internet and freedom of expression took place on 8th of July in Paris at the initiative of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen. Held at the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the meeting brought together the representatives of 17 governments, as well as those of several NGOs, international organizations and companies.
One of the main issues discussed was the growing Internet censorship efforts observed around the world, especially in countries governed by authoritarian regimes. "Measures are needed," said Mr. Verhagen, who opened the conference. "Authoritarian regimes restrict access to the Internet, censor the content, and even use it to prosecute citizens for their views. But free speech applies everywhere, including on the Internet," he stressed.
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