Camera dei deputati

I would like to extend my most cordial greetings to all those taking part in this forum.

It is a great pleasure and a great honour for me that an Italian contribution should open this four-day debate in Brazil, which brings together experts and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the current and future shape of Internet governance and the sensitive and complex question of the rights of Internet users.

Our Bill of Internet Rights, to whose presentation this pre-event is dedicated, is predicated on already established national and international principles, which it seeks to develop within the framework of a constantly changing regulatory and technological context. I imagine that many of you are thoroughly familiar with its contents, and I will not go over them again here. I wish, however, to emphasise two important features of our work.

The first has to do with the parliamentary nature of the initiative. The Bill of Internet Rights is the result of the work of a study committee that was expressly set up for this purpose by the Italian Chamber of Deputies. It was the first time that a Parliament had sponsored an initiative of this type. In so doing, the Chamber of Deputies, the ultimate representative of the Italian people, was seeking to reaffirm its duty to defend, safeguard and promote the rights of citizens in all spheres of action, including, therefore, on the Internet.

The second aspect has to do with methodology. The Bill of Internet Rights is the result of a broad-ranging debate between Members of Parliament and experts within the Committee, which also heard testimony and evidence from a large number of external parties and stakeholders representing relevant institutions and associations. This was then followed by a five-month round of public consultation, during which the digital platform set up to receive suggestions was accessed more than 14,000 times.

Like the Internet Governance Forum, then, our initiative also was based on multi-stakeholder dialogue, which is a necessary condition for a participatory, inclusive and effective discussion of this subject.

I am also pleased to announce that on 3 November last, the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved a policy-setting motion jointly tabled by majority and opposition parliamentary Groups, committing the Italian government to supporting the principles enshrined in the Bill in all official fora. The Committee's recommendations have thus become the general policy of the country, and Italy is now able to make a substantive contribution to promoting, at an international level, a genuine charter of rights for people in the digital age.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked to achieve this important result, notably Professor Rodotà, who I know is there with you along with other members of the Committee.

I wish you all the best in your work and hope in the resounding success of the event.