OTTAWA – Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne today announced Canada is endorsing the Declaration for the Future of the Internet, thereby “committing to work with like-minded partners to affirm and promote the shared vision of an open, trusted and secure Internet that fosters democratic values and respect for human rights,” a press release says.
While there are many benefits of the Internet, “in recent years, the Internet has come under threat from bad actors seeking to undermine these benefits and cause harm,” the release says.
“That’s why the Government of Canada is committed to supporting an Internet that is open, trusted, interoperable and secure for the benefit of all Canadians.”
“Canadians depend on the Internet to work, connect to loved ones, access health and education services, and so much more,” Champagne said, in the press release. “It is a powerful tool that is essential to our economy. That’s why our government is committing to stand with our allies in support of an Internet that is open, trusted, interoperable and secure. We look forward to continuing this important dialogue and seeing a more democratic and connected world.”
The press release says the “declaration aligns with Canada’s Digital Charter, particularly the principles of universal access, data and digital for good, and strong democracy.”
Among other things, the declaration calls for a commitment to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, according to the full document, which is available here. This includes promoting online safety and strengthening work on combatting violence online. It also calls for a commitment to inclusive and affordable Internet access. This includes supporting “efforts to close digital divides around the world to ensure all people of the world are able to benefit from the digital transformation.”
The Declaration for the Future of the Internet “takes into account, and expects to contribute to, existing processes in the UN system, G7, G20, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Trade Organization, and other relevant multilateral and multistakeholder fora, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Internet Governance Forum, and Freedom Online Coalition.”
The declaration has also been signed by 60 other democratic governments and partners including the United States, Australia, France, Japan, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom, a U.S. government fact sheet says.
