France. 12 May 2021. France and New Zealand will jointly convene the Christchurch Call Community for a leaders’ summit, to take stock of progress and develop a new shared priority work plan. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and President Emmanuel Macron will co-chair the leaders’ meeting on the 2nd anniversary of the Call, on 14 May
The summit will bring together leaders across Call supporting governments, tech companies and civil society.
Jacinda Ardern outlined that “Among the priorities I would like to see progressed is a strengthened collective ability to manage crises related to terrorist and violent extremist content online. I would like to see us grow our shared understanding of algorithmic processes that have the potential to cause harm, or to radicalize or incite to acts of terrorism and violent extremism. And to develop positive interventions to address these.”
“Increased transparency on methods used to moderate harmful online content, from companies and governments, will underpin our commitment to uphold fundamental internet freedoms,” Emmanuel Macron said. “A strengthened Call Community is critical to our enduring success. It needs to support and empower its members to engage in direct, constructive dialogue on issues of substance, support each other to do better and, where necessary, hold each other to account on delivery of the Call.”
Both leaders said they were delighted to welcome like-minded partner the United States as a supporter of the Christchurch Call. Macron emphasized that “The challenge of the Christchurch Call cannot be addressed wholly within the confines of one country’s rules and regulations.”
Both leaders expressed that the United States’ support to the Call would send a powerful message to those who would seek to exploit the internet to promote terrorism and violent extremism. “The US Government’s support recognizes the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to an issue that increasingly transcends borders, ideologies and nationalities, and the ability of any one group or country to address on their own,” Ardern said.
“The major US tech companies are supporters of the Call, and having the US Government on board will further strengthen actions to reduce the risk of the internet being used as a tool for terrorists.
“The work of the Call is ongoing and it remains as important as when it was launched two years ago.” said Macron. Ardern added to this by emphasizing that “We will not waver from our shared belief there is no place online for terrorist and violent extremist content.”
