The Regional Internet Freedom Conference will be held by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) on 5-7 September 2022 in Ohrid, North Macedonia bringing together over 60 civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, researchers, and experts from Belarus, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The event will summarize two-year implementation of the ‘Europe and Eurasia Internet Advocacy Support Program’. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and aimed at increasing Internet freedom advocacy capacity in four program countries, and empowering civil society activists to effectively use advocacy tools.
The Regional IF Conference will be the first large-scale in-person event within the program following two years of smaller online meetings in a response to COVID-19 pandemic. During three conference days, invited experts and members of the Regional Internet Freedom Network supported by ABA ROLI will deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities around privacy, data protection, freedom of expression online, children’s rights in digital era, biometric video surveillance, electronic identification, digital safety, Internet fragmentation and other important Internet freedom related topics that are gaining momentum in four program countries and in the region.
The conference will offer participants a platform for fruitful discussions and networking.
Official conference hashtag – #internetfreedom.