NZ and France to co-chair anti-terror summit as US joins
New Zealand and France will jointly convene the Christchurch Call leaders’ summit, that aims to “take stock of progress and develop a new shared priority work plan”.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-chair the leaders’ meeting on May 15 — the second anniversary of the Call.
The summit will bring together leaders across Call-supporting Governments, tech firms and civil society.
The Christchurch Call to Action
aims to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. It came after the 2019 terror attack on two mosques in the city where 51 people were murdered and 40 wounded.
The call is a voluntary framework whereby global governments and tech companies pledge to work towards stopping violent content from being posted online, and preventing such content from spreading. Yesterday it was confirmed the US would join the Call, after holding off initially.
Also yesterday it was announced Ardern and Macron would lead the upcoming summit.
“We expect the Call community to refine its focus, redouble its efforts, and agree to a priority work plan for the year ahead,” Ardern said.
“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 radicalise or incite to acts of terrorism and violent extremism. And to develop positive interventions to address these.”
Ardern said the inaugural Christchurch Call Community Consultation report would provide the foundation for the work.
Macron said increased transparency on methods used to moderate harmful online content — from companies and governments — would underpin the community’s “commitment to uphold fundamental internet freedoms”.
“A strengthened Call community is critical to our enduring success,” he said.
“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.”
The summit will take place on May 15.