At an event of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) held in New York on 23 September, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced that Estonia would become the organisation’s Chair in 2025. As Chair, Estonia’s primary objective is to share its knowledge of building an e-state, thereby contributing to closing the digital gap.
“Technology has revolutionised how we communicate with each other, access information, and interact with the world,” Foreign Minister Tsahkna said in New York. “Estonia is known as a digital country but it is important to emphasise that our e-state is built not just on technology, but also on values like openness, transparency, access to information and inclusion.”
The foreign minister said Estonia’s priority as the Chair of the Freedom Online Coalition included upholding these values. “The same rights and rules should apply both online and offline,” Tsahkna said, adding that these issues have become particularly topical in connection with artificial intelligence. “AI is only working for the benefit of humanity if it takes human rights into account.”
International cooperation is key to meeting the challenges related to ensuring internet freedom and the Freedom Online Coalition creates an excellent platform.
The Freedom Online Coalition opens in a new tab was established in 2011 to uphold and advance online freedom globally and shape international decisions based on this fundamental principle. Estonia is one of the 15 founding members of FOC; the group now includes 39 countries.
