Table 1: Commonwealth Cybergovernance Principles
Principle 1: “We contribute to a safe and an effective global Cyberspace”
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as a partnership between public and private sectors, civil society and users, a collective creation;
with multi-stakeholder, transparent and collaborative governance promoting continuous development
of Cyberspace;
where investment in the Cyberspace is encouraged and rewarded;
by providing sufficient neutrality of the network as a provider of information services;
by offering stability in the provision of reliable and resilient information services;
by having standardisation to achieve global interoperability;
by enabling all to participate with equal opportunity of universal access;
as an open, distributed, interconnected internet;
providing an environment that is safe for its users, particularly the young and vulnerable;
made available to users at an affordable price.
Principle 2: “Our actions in Cyberspace support broader economic and social development”
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by enabling innovation and sustainable development, creating greater coherence and synergy,
through collaboration and the widespread dissemination of knowledge;
respecting cultural and linguistic diversity without the imposition of beliefs;
promoting cross-border delivery of services and free flow of labour in a multi-lateral trading system;
allowing free association and interaction between individuals across borders;
supporting and enhancing digital literacy;
providing everyone with information that promotes and protects their rights and is relevant to their
interests, for example to support transparent and accountable government;
enabling and promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships;
facilitating pan-Commonwealth consultations and international linkages in a globally connected
space that also serves local interests.
Principle 3: “We act individually and collectively to tackle cybercrime”
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nations, organisations and society work together to foster respect for the law;
to develop relevant and proportionate laws to tackle Cybercrime effectively;
to protect our critical national and shared infrastructures;
meeting internationally-recognised standards and good practice to deliver security;
with effective government structures working collaboratively within and between states;
with governments, relevant international organisations and the private sector working closely to
prevent and respond to incidents.
Principle 4: “We each exercise our rights and meet our responsibilities in Cyberspace”
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we defend in Cyberspace the values of human rights, freedom of expression and privacy as stated in
our Charter of the Commonwealth;
individuals, organisations and nations are empowered through their access to knowledge;
users benefit from the fruits of their labours; intellectual property is protected accordingly;
users can benefit from the commercial value of their own information; accordingly, responsibility and
liability for information lies with those who create it;
responsible behaviour demands users all meet minimum Cyberhygiene requirements.
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