Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Biden-Harris Administration joined 60 global partners in launching The Declaration for the Future of the Internet, recommitting to the vision of the global Internet as a platform for openness and innovation, while promoting and protecting human rights.

“The goal of reliable, interoperable, and secure internet worldwide is central to the work we are doing at the Department of Commerce. As we carry out President Biden’s ambitious goal to connect every single American to high-speed internet, this declaration reaffirms our commitment to advancing a positive vision for the internet and digital technologies, while ensuring that all people are able to reap these benefits,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “I am also thrilled that the United States is joining this historic Declaration during International Girls in ICT Day. Supporting women and girls in the Information and Communications Technology sector is essential to supporting the goals we have laid out today.”

“The Declaration for the Future of Internet reasserts our commitment to an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet. Too many families in the United States remain unconnected to internet, so it’s imperative that we work together here at home and around the globe to stem the digital divide and enable unprecedented growth and prosperity for everyone,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “The reality of the world that we live in is that if you are not connected to high-speed internet, you cannot meaningfully participate in our 21^st century economy. This Declaration seeks to upend that injustice, and the Department of Commerce and the entire Administration will continue to do the work necessary to achieve that objective.”

“The Declaration represents a timely opportunity to recommit to a shared vision of the global Internet as an open platform for opportunity, innovation, and understanding,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “NTIA looks forward to engaging with stakeholders and partners around the world to fully realize the Declaration’s potential.”

The Declaration’s principles include commitments to:

• Protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people;
• Promote a global Internet that advances the free flow of information;
• Advance inclusive and affordable connectivity so that all people can benefit from the digital economy;
• Promote trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through protection of privacy; and
• Protect and strengthen the multistakeholder approach to governance that keeps the Internet running for the benefit of all.

Those endorsing the Declaration include Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, the European Commission, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Palau, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Uruguay. 

The Declaration and an accompanying fact sheet can be found here