Eoghan Murphy at the Dublin Conference on Internet Freedom.DUBLIN, 20 June 2012 – Eoghan Murphy, Head of the Irish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and Irish MP Ann Phelan represented the OSCE PA at the Dublin Conference on Internet Freedom 18-19 June.
The conference organized by the Irish Chairmanship of the OSCE focused on ensuring open Internet access and respecting freedom of expression and other fundamental freedoms online.
At the opening session in Dublin Castle, Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland and OSCE Chair-in-Office Eamon Gilmore reminded participants of governments' "obligation to enable our citizens to access the Internet unhindered." He said countries that restrict such freedoms are acting against their own OSCE commitments and international human rights law.
The conference featured working sessions on online content, Internet governance and human rights, and new media with panelists debating contemporary questions, including how to best balance concerns over piracy of copyrighted material with freedom of expression.
OSCE PA Communications Director Neil Simon also attended the conference. During a working session on new media he spoke about the ongoing work of the Assembly to highlight good practices from parliaments, governments and civil society that aim to increase civic participation and make government more accessible.
While several speakers spoke about new ways to protect basic freedoms online, OSCE officials and others reminded the audience of the broad commitments to which OSCE participating States have already freely agreed. Landmark documents like those from Copenhagen and Madrid are clear about the need for governments to respect freedom of access to information (regardless the platform) and free expression regardless the medium.
A summary of U.S. Congressman Chris Smith's Global Online Freedom Act was also made available to the more than 300 registered conference participants. That legislation would require U.S. technology and software companies who export spyware to publicly report their dealings with governments who are known to restrict Internet freedom.
Prominent speakers included President Toomas Ilves of Estonia, Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights; Alec Ross, Senior Adviser on Innovation to the US Secretary of State, and journalists and bloggers from Azerbaijan and Belarus who had been imprisoned in the past for their online work.
