logo

 

WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2016

Session :

Time :

Date :

Room :

Organiser(s) :

 

Moderator


Christian Borggreen, Director, Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA)

Audio

New technologies are creating novel opportunities for social inclusion and economic growth around the globe, yet online freedoms are deteriorating at the same time.

Increasingly, governments block and filter online communications tools which enable freedom of speech and the free exchange of information. As our societies become ever more digital, restrictions on the free flow of information and the inability to use online services constitute serious barriers to societal, political and economic inclusiveness.

Digital protectionism is equally an online censorship challenge as well as a trade restriction for Internet-enabled businesses globally.

Digital protectionism has been identified as the 21st century rising threat, notably by the United States Trade Representative and the European Commission in their respective trade barriers reports.

This workshop will explore:

  • At what point does suppression of online rights become a trade barrier?
  • How can the WTO and trade rules address online censorship?
  • How can digital trade rules better enable human rights and inclusiveness?

Speakers

  • Jodie Ginsberg, CEO, Index on Censorship
  • Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Colombia to the World Trade Organization
  • Silvia Grundmann, Head of Division, Council of Europe
  • Marietje Schaake, Member of the European Parliament
  • Arzu Geybulla, columnist/journalist active in Turkey
  • Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)