A one-day stakeholders' forum aimed at establishing the Liberia Internet Freedom coalition has taken place in Monrovia.
The internet freedom coalition is a byproduct of the review of the country's internet space.
This exercise is jointly undertaken by the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) and the Media Foundation of West Africa, (MFWA) based in Accra, Ghana.
As a high point of this exercise, a review report was presented Tuesday at the forum, which was held under the theme: "Liberia Internet Environment: Prospects and Challenges."
According to the Executive Director of the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding Malcolm Joseph, the forum was an opportunity for the sector players to give their perspectives on what has been garnered from the review of Liberia's Internet freedom space.
Media Foundation of West Africa in partnership with the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding is pursuing this project from the point of view of commitment at the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedom.
In the preamble of the said declaration, it is stated that Internet is an enabling space and resource for the realization of all human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, the right of access to information, the right of freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of opinion, thought and belief, the right to be free from discrimination in all forms, the right to education, the right to culture and language and the right of access to socio-economic services, among others.
Other instruments that have shaped the process to the hosting of this event in Liberia include the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights of 1981, the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press of 1991, the African Charter on Broadcasting of 2001, the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa of 2002, and the African Platform on Access to Information Declaration of 2011 as well as the African Union Convention on Cyber-security and Personal Data Protection of 2014.
In giving validity to this declaration, member states are under obligation to ensure that rights and obligation of users of the internet is guaranteed through relevant legislations and incentives.
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