Source: New Zealand Government
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, where Leaders endorsed New Zealand and France building a resilient Secretariat ahead of the Call’s fifth anniversary in May 2024. The new Foundation is the outcome of this work.
“The Christchurch Call was formed in 2019, two months after the terror attacks in Christchurch. In making this announcement, I want especially to acknowledge the experiences of the Muslim community in Christchurch and thank them for their valuable ongoing involvement in the work of the Call,” Mr Luxon says.
President Macron said: “Since 2019, we have managed to build a global community to fight against extremism online and it is delivering, taking action at each tragic occurrence of a new terrorist attack. Our commitment to this promise remains firm and I am confident that this new stage of the Call provides a solid basis for the future of this initiative and the new challenges we now have to tackle, including AI-generated content.”
Dame Jacinda Ardern will remain an integral part of this initiative, as Patron of the Call.
“I’d like to thank Dame Jacinda Ardern for her advocacy and leadership of the Christchurch Call, which has curtailed violent extremism online. I wish her and the Christchurch Call well as they evolve in the next phase of their development,” Mr Luxon says.
The Christchurch Call Foundation has already attracted pledges from members of the Call Community and philanthropic donors.
Notes:
- France and New Zealand founded the Call on May 15, 2019.
- The Call has 25 commitments made by governments and online service providers to eliminate terrorist and extremist content online.
- The Call’s multistakeholder community includes 56 governments, 19 online service providers, 13 partner organisations, and more than 50 civil society organisations.
- The new Foundation will be headquartered in Wellington, with points of presence in key locations around the world.
- New Zealand taxpayer funding for the Call will end on 30 June, as support functions transfer to the new Secretariat, funded by the new Foundation. The new Secretariat will be up and running under the Foundation from 1 July.
- On 4 April 2023 Dame Jacinda Ardern became the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Christchurch Call with a term concluding on 30 June this year. In that role she has advised and represented Prime Ministers Hipkins and Luxon.
- In her new role as Patron for the Call, Dame Jacinda will continue to facilitate dialogue with Leaders, deliver outreach and advocacy to raise the profile of the Call. As with her Special Envoy role, this is a voluntary, unpaid position.
- The Call continues to be a global, multistakeholder initiative where key decisions about the direction of effort are made by Leaders from all sectors.
- The Foundation will help to coordinate and support efforts by civil society, industry, and government to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content, maintain a free, open, and secure global internet, and protect and promote human rights.
