ACTIVITIES :: Safer Internet Programme :: :: Policy :: International cooperation

International co-operation

Due to the open nature of the Internet, effective tackling of online issues needs to be done at international level. The Safer Internet Programme contributes to awareness raising and fighting illegal content activities at international level, as well as co-operation and exchange of experience and best practices. Most international co-operation is made through multilateral discussions such as theInternet Governance Forum and the International Telecommunications Union.

Raising awareness: Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day has been organised since 2004 by the network of Safer Internet awareness Centres, INSAFE, as part of a global drive to promote a safer Internet for all users, especially young people. This event is supported by the European Union through the Safer Internet Programme. In 2009 50 countries organized 500 awareness raising activities targeted at young people at local, national and international level. See press release

Fighting illegal content

The area of crime the Safer Internet programme is dealing with is both global and complex, just like the medium it uses for dissemination. Because child abuse material might be produced in one country, uploaded and distributed from another and downloaded from all over the world cooperation with third countries is necessary to work towards an integrated approach for fighting illegal content.

In 2009 co-operation with the Russian Federation will also be enhanced in the this area.

The activity of the Safer Internet Centres has an international outreach, especially when it comes to fighting illegal content. The INHOPE network of hotlines has 6 members coming from outside Europe, members in Asia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

This international scope of INHOPE has led, in October 2008, to the close down of a network of child abuse websites starting from a public complaint made to the Irish hotline which reported illegal images posted on a website. The site which hosted the images was part of a network of websites registered in Australia and which provided access to child sexual abuse material. Therefore, Hotline.ie, the Irish Internet Hotline supported by the Safer Internet Programme, has collaborated with the Australian INHOPE member, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to disable the network of websites.

Safer Internet for children, conference organised by the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Russia

In 2009, cooperation with Russia is a priority in the field of fighting illegal content and harmful contact and conduct online and ensuring public awareness. A direct grant to the Council of the Baltic Sea States for organising an international conference in Russia on promoting a safer use of online technologies by children was provided under the 2009 Safer Internet Work Programme.

See details

International Telecommunications Union

Co-operation with the International Telecommunications Union will also be enhanced in the future. In 2009 ITU and the European Commission have joined forces to mark Safer Internet Day.

See press release

Internet Governance Forum

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue. It has been created by the United Nations Secretary-General in carrying out the mandate from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

One of the main topics discussed at the 2008 edition of the Forum was "Promoting Cyber-Security and Trust". Within this discussion session, several workshops were organized.

The eNACSO thematic network funded through the Safer Internet Programme was present in:

A plenary, where the main focus was on the tensions between child protection online and free speech and privacy concerns.
A joint workshop with ECPAT International which discussed a broad range of child protection issues on the internet, but with a particular focus on child pornography.
A workshop on child protection and internet access provided via mobile phones.
A Dynamic Coalition meeting where the focus on the discussion was on free speech and privacy issues.

In addition, one of the Best Practice Forums workshops, organized by the European Commission, focused on the "European approach to empowering and protecting children online" .

The 2007 edition of the IGF was the first time in such a forum when child safety online was placed on the agenda under the "Security" theme. Therefore, it was also the first time when experts representing the Safer Internet Programme were present at the IGF to make child safety online visible.