Internet freedom a human right

TALLINN - In an event about advancing Internet freedom, which occurred in the framework of the UN General Assembly, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the UN plays an important role in creating a uniform understanding of the use and security of information technology among member states, reports LETA. According to Paet, Estonia considers ensuring and protecting freedom of expression in both the public and in cyberspace to be important.

“International law, and in particular the UN, has an important role in promoting a free, secure, and accessible cyberspace,” stated Paet.

“For Estonia, freedom of expression is an integral human right and supporting freedom of expression online is just as important as other activities associated with the promotion and defense of human rights,” he noted.

Paet said that, as the current chair of the Freedom Online Coalition, Estonia considers it important to proceed from the idea that a free and secure internet is an effective instrument of political, economic, and social progress in the 21st century. “Next April’s Freedom Online conference will be based on those keywords,” he added.

The event, entitled “Strategy Session: Advancing the Internet Freedom, Security, and Development Agenda in the UN” was organized by Sweden in cooperation with the International Peace Institute (IPI).