New Zealand Minister Kris Faafoi will be present at the “Tech for Humanity” meeting of G7 Digital Ministers in Paris.
He has added a number of cyber engagements to the planned travel while he is there in order to support the Government’s focus on international collaboration on cyber issues.
According to a recent press release, the Minister will accompany the Prime Minister while she is in Paris championing the Christchurch Call.
The Christchurch Call aims to adopt concrete commitments by governments and tech companies to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
At the same time, still protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and maintaining a free, open and secure internet.
Collaborating for cybersecurity
Meanwhile, Minister Kris Faafoi will be making cybersecurity visits in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.
According to him, he is doing so since ongoing co-operation is critical. Their vision is for an open, safe and secure cyberspace.
New Zealand is committed to addressing cyber security threats and building cyber security capacity and resilience. While the country is geographically isolated, this offers no protection in the cyber world.
He will be meeting with counterparts in the UK and in Ireland in order to discuss global cybersecurity issues as these issues cannot be tackled by one country alone.
Mr Faafoi is also undertaking visits related to his Customs portfolio in the UK, and to his broadcasting, communications and digital media portfolio in the UK and Ireland.
Undertaking other opportunities
According to him, he wanted to take the opportunity to discover more how public broadcasting is delivered in different ways.
He is particularly interested in how public broadcasters in Ireland are supporting local content including journalists covering stories in Irish.
He added that he’s also interested in a British broadcaster’s Local News Partnership wherein the broadcaster funds journalists in regional newsrooms to source local stories and these are shared through the network.
The New Zealand media landscape is at a precipice and this would be the perfect opportunity to look at how others are delivering strong public media throughout a time of change.
In his capacity as Minister of Civil Defence, Mr Faafoi will also deliver New Zealand’s official statement at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, organised by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Furthermore, he has speaking roles in a ministerial roundtable on economics of disaster risk reduction and a working session on innovative disaster risk reductions investment modalities.
Christchurch Call
OpenGov Asia earlier reported on New Zealand and France to end online extremism. The two countries are coming together to end the use of social media for terrorism and extremism.
The meeting will be co-chaired by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the French President Emmanuel Macron and will take place in Paris on 15 May 2019.
Everyone needs to act, including social media providers who should take more responsibility for the content on their platforms. They also need to take action so that violent extremist content cannot be published and shared.
