This Initiative was based on the conviction that governments should take action and support appropriate actions by the ICT industry and civil society to prevent and counter the misuse of the digital space, especially the Internet and social media platforms, for violent extremist and terrorist purposes. The non-binding Zurich-London Recommendations compile a nonexhaustive list of good practices for governments for how strategic communications and social media aspects can be used in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online while also respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms and the principle of the rule of law.
This Policy Toolkit pursues the following objectives:
- To provide governmental experts and policy-makers with access to information on policies and current trends in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online.
- To promote actions taken by governments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms such as privacy and the freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and religion or belief as well as the need to preserve a free flow of information and a free and open Internet.
- To foster efficient and sustainable collaboration between governments, ICT companies and civil society based on the principle of shared responsibility in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online.
- To stimulate innovation by referring to good practices and lessons learned that may lie outside preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online, but that are nevertheless of relevance.
The Toolkit provides a practical and user-friendly guide for policy-makers and governmental experts on good governmental practices, case studies, and references to existing international and regional initiatives and practices in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online. The Toolkit further outlines means to efficiently and sustainably collaborate with information and communication technology (ICT) companies and civil society organizations based on shared responsibilities, while ensuring that any policy is respectful of human rights and the rule of law, and is context-specific and gender-sensitive.
The Toolkit was developed in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) during the course of a research phase and two expert meetings workshops held in The Hague, the Netherlands, and in Tirana, Albania in March and May 2019 respectively.
The target audience of this Policy Toolkit is GCTF Members as well as GCTF Key Partners and any other governments interested in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online.