Lisa Horner
on behalf of the FoE online Dynamic Coalition
 
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The Freedom of Expression and the Media Online Dynamic Coalition supports the continuation of the IGF as a space for multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation.  Multi-stakeholder participation is extremely important in the internet governance sphere as the internet has emerged as central to the everyday lives and activities of so many people across the world.  The internet governance terrain is highly complicated, made up of a diverse and dispersed range of actors, institutions and processes.  This makes the existence of a common, participative and collaborative space in the form of IGF all the more important for coordinating our efforts and learning from each other.  
 

The WSIS Declaration of Principles reaffirms the importance of freedom of expression, stating that:
 
“Freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information for the creation, accumulation and dissemination of knowledge are important to the Information Society.” (B9, Article 55).
 
Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are crucial components of the internet governance agenda. The internet is helping to more fully realise freedom of expression, but is also presenting new challenges and threats such as enhanced censorship and surveillance.  In this context, it is important to remember that freedom of expression is an integral aspect of the development process which cannot be ignored, replaced by symbolism or appended at a later date.
 
Freedom of expression is an important element of a number of the WSIS Principles, including those in sections:
 

    * B3 on Access to Information and Knowledge
    * B8 on Cultural Diversity
    * B9 on Media
    * C10 on the Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society.

 
The IGF has provided an important venue for dialogue and collaboration to find solutions and approaches for implementing the WSIS Principles.  However, much work still remains to be done, not least in incorporating freedom of expression principles into internet governance in order to accelerate realisation of the Principles.  We therefore advocate for the Forum to continue, and for the importance of freedom of expression to be reflected in its activities and in its program. We also call for efforts to be made to make multi-stakeholder collaboration more meaningful, so that civil society, business and government stakeholders have equal input into governance policy and processes.  This is necessary to ensure that progress in made in fostering an internet that embodies and supports the WSIS Principles and human rights.