The Annual Freedom Online Conference is the flagship event of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), bringing together governments and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the most urgent challenges to the realization of human rights online.

The Freedom Online Coalition is a partnership of 30 governments, working to advance Internet freedom. Coalition members work closely together to coordinate their diplomatic efforts and engage with civil society and the private sector to support Internet freedom – free expression, association, assembly, and privacy online – worldwide.

The conference offers an open platform for discussion among all stakeholders – governments, civil society, the private sector, and others – to share relevant information, develop joint strategies and combine efforts towards their mutual goal of a human rights based Internet.

The conference will be opened officially on Thursday 29 November, with a welcome address by Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Heiko Maas, and keynote speeches by distinguished representatives.

Dr. Anja Kovacs will be speaking on the parallel session on ​‘Bridging the Digital Divides’, 13.15−14.30, 29 November.