Lecturer in Law and member of the Cyber Threats Research Centre, Dr Katy Vaughan, has represented CYTREC and the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law at the Christchurch Call Second Anniversary Summit.
The Christchurch Call came into existence in response to the horrific terrorist events that took place in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron launched the Christchurch Call to Action.
It represents a commitment by Governments and tech companies to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. It rests on the conviction that a free, open and secure internet offers extraordinary benefits to society. Respect for freedom of expression is fundamental, however, the belief of the Call is that no one has the right to create and share terrorist and violent extremist content online.
Two years since its launch, Prime Minister Ardern and President Macron have called on leaders from across the Christchurch Call Community to a global virtual summit, to agree to a shared priority work plan that builds on the progress already made to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. The summit includes supporters across government, industry and civil society, who will take stock of progress, and refresh their work plan to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
CYTREC is a member of the Christchurch Call Advisory Network which includes a number of civil society groups from around the world, providing advice and consultation on policy matters and initiatives related to the Call.
Speaking on attending the summit on behalf of CYTREC, Dr Vaughan said:
“The need to address the dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist content online whilst ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights and an open, free and secure internet is greater than ever. One of the main strengths of the Call is that this is a multi-stakeholder initiative, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the Advisory Network to address these critical issues.”
Find out more about The Christchurch Call.