Taiwan on Thursday joined dozens of countries in signing a declaration led by the US to promote a free and open Internet to counter “rising digital authoritarianism.”
Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) represented the government at a virtual ceremony hosted by the White House and signed the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.
Other signatories included Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK and the European Commission.
Photo: screenshot from Facebook
Tang yesterday wrote on Facebook that it remained an urgent task for democratic nations to build an Internet environment where economic and social development is encouraged, and democratic values and individual rights are protected.
Taiwan has much to contribute to the task taken on by the declaration’s signatories, Tang added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the nation’s participation in the initiative was the latest example of the close partnership between Taiwan and the US, and of US support for Taiwan’s engagement in international affairs.
It also said in a statement that Taiwan would continue working with like-minded countries to contribute to efforts to tackle global challenges.
Sixty countries have endorsed the declaration, which aims to “support a future for the Internet that is open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure, and affirm their commitment to protecting and respecting human rights online and across the digital world,” a White House statement said.
The US and its partners through the initiative would work to tackle what they described as “rising digital authoritarianism,” the statement said, adding that some countries had acted to repress freedom of expression, censor independent news sites, interfere with elections, promote disinformation and deny their citizens other human rights.
Signatories are committed to protecting human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all people while strengthening a multistakeholder approach to governance that keeps the Internet available for the benefit of all, the statement said.
Countries that backed the declaration agreed to promote a global Internet that advances the free flow of information and trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through protection of privacy, the statement said.
The signatories would also strive to advance inclusive and affordable connectivity so that all people can benefit from the digital economy, it added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said of the declaration in a separate statement that “the future of the Internet is also the future of democracy, of humankind.”
“Like-minded countries from all over the world are setting out a shared vision for the future of the Internet, to make sure that the values we hold true offline are also protected online, to make the Internet a safe place and trusted space for everyone, and to ensure that the Internet serves our individual freedom,” she added.
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