best practices within the UN, and proposes to establish a mechanism to put in practice the norms of responsible state behaviour and promote capacity building. In addition, the High Representative aims to strengthen and encourage the implementation of confidence-building measures between states, including sharing best practices at regional and multilateral levels and contributing to cross-regional cooperation. Increased global connectivity should not lead to censorship, mass surveillance, data privacy breaches and repression against civil society, academia and citizens. The EU should continue to lead on the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms online. To this end, the EU should promote further compliance with international human rights law and standards106, and operationalise its Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024107, and advance its Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline108, offering a new impetus on the practical application of EU instruments. The EU should make sustained efforts to protect human rights defenders, civil society and academia working on issues such as cybersecurity, data privacy, surveillance and online censorship. To this end, the EU should provide further practical guidance, promote best practices and step-up its efforts to prevent the misuse of emerging technologies, notably through the use of diplomatic measures where necessary, as well as the export control of such technologies. The EU should also continue to fight for the protection of the most vulnerable members of society online, by putting forward legislation to better protect children against child sexual abuse and exploitation and a Strategy on the Rights of the Child. The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime The EU continues to support third countries that wish to accede to the Council of Europe Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and work to finalise the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention that includes measures and safeguards to improve international cooperation between law enforcement and judicial authorities, as well as between authorities and service providers in other countries, and for which the Commission participates in the negotiations on behalf of the EU109. The current initiative for a new legal instrument on cybercrime at UN level risks to amplify divisions and slow down much needed national reforms and related capacity building efforts, potentially hindering effective international cooperation against cybercrime: the EU does not see a need for any new legal instrument on cybercrime at UN level. The EU continues to engage in the multilateral exchanges on cybercrime to ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through inclusiveness, transparency, and taking into account available expertise, with the goal of delivering added value for all. 3.2 Cooperation with partners and the multi-stakeholder community The EU should strengthen and expand its cyber dialogues with third countries to promote its values and vision for cyberspace, sharing best practices, and seeking to cooperate more effectively. The EU should also establish structured exchanges with regional organisations such as the African Union, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the Organisation of 106 Notably the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/11/19/council-approves-conclusions-on-theeu-action-plan-on-human-rights-and-democracy-2020-2024/ 108 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/28348/142549.pdf 109 Council Decision of June 2019 (ref 9116/19) 107 21