Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 13280 | 08 July 2013

Coordinated strategies for effective Internet governance

Signatories: Mr Robert SHLEGEL, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Tamerlan AGUZAROV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EDG ; Ms Olga BORZOVA, Russian Federation, EDG ; Baroness Peta BUSCOMBE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; - Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Nadezda GERASIMOVA, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Svetlana GORYACHEVA, Russian Federation, SOC ; Mr Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Ms Olga KAZAKOVA, Russian Federation, EDG ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Ian LIDDELL-GRAINGER, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Vassiliy LIKHACHEV, Russian Federation, UEL ; Mr Anvar MAKHMUTOV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Brynjar NÍELSSON, Iceland, EDG ; Mr Alexey PUSHKOV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Mr Alexander SIDYAKIN, Russian Federation, EDG ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Baroness Judith WILCOX, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway, EDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Internet has penetrated in all areas of human life and it has become one of the most important means to ensure human rights and democracy. However, along with the possibilities emerge the dangers, which trigger the loss of confidence in the Web: growth of cyber-crime, theft of money and personal data, fraud, unpunished defamation, threats, dissemination of extremist information, child pornography and malicious software have led to a slowdown in the use of the Internet compared with the rate of its expansion.

The need to protect the rights of their citizens is pushing a number of States to establish a legal framework for relations arising from the use of the Internet. Attempts to create legislation in this area, unfortunately, are scattered and not systematic, which given the trans-boundary nature of the Web may lead to negative consequences, in particular, violation of citizens’ and legal entities’ rights, as in the case of the restrictions that are imposed on Google by different countries.

The task of creating legislation in this area should be systematic and international, and should be accomplished by concerted action of all member States of the Council of Europe. Based on the Council of Europe Strategy for Internet Governance Principles 2012-2015, the Parliamentary Assembly should draw up a report on this subject which would provide information on the situation in Council of Europe member States, summarise positive experiences and challenges, attempt to find a common approach for a European legal regulation and address recommendations to the Committee of Ministers.