The background to and aim of the Conference - which is open to people with a professional interest in the Internet - is the elaboration of a new four-year Council of Europe strategy to advance the protection and respect for human rights, rule of law and democracy on the Internet.

Hosted and organised by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria together with the Council of Europe, the themes of the Conference, discussed in panel sessions, include Internet and democracy, privacy standards, is harm to the Internet’s functioning also harming human rights, fighting cybercrime, protecting and empowering children, what are governments’ responsibilities in protecting human rights on the Internet, and developing a charter of Internet rights to empower and enable citizens online.

Preliminary draft prepared by the Secretariat of the Council of Europe for discussion during the Conference “Our Internet – Our Rights, Our Freedoms” organised by the Council of Europe and the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria.