This is a translation of the original Swedish document, “Stiftelseurkund för 5:e juli-stiftelsen”:
Charter of Foundation
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” (Article 19 in United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
“Affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of ones choice, in accordance with articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights …” (from resolution A/HRC/20/L.13 adopted by United Nations Human Rights Council on 5th of July, 2012.)
We who have signed this Charter of Foundation have long worked with Internet and have in different ways been actively involved in questions concerning privacy and freedom of expression on Internet. It is of fundamental value for us that the United Nations through its resolution on 5th of July 2012 has affirmed that freedom of expression must be as well protected on the Internet as in other environments.
Today there is a growing threat against freedom of expression on the Internet. All over the world there are commercial and political powers who conduct and advocate surveillance, recording, and retention of Internet traffic data as well as obstructing access to information. The advocates of such measures consistently claim that they are necessary to “protect” and “aid”. With such arguments demand is increased for even more comprehensive measures.
No matter if the aims are benevolent or not, extensive surveillance, registration, retention, and blocking of Internet traffic brings high risks for abuse and for information ending up in the wrong hands. According to our view this constitutes a threat to the right to privacy, diversity and free formation of opinion on the Internet. It may also be fundamentally at odds with the UN resolution for 5th of July 2012. It is important that this resolution does not stop at beautiful words.
We have therefore resolved to form a Foundation with the purpose of, in practical deed, defending freedom of opinion and freedom of expression on the Internet in line with the UN resolution from 5th of July, 2012, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Foundation shall in line with this purpose participate in public debate, educate the public about freedom of opinion, expression and privacy, support diversity and free exchange of ideas on the Internet and seek to counteract damaging effects of monitoring, recording, retaining and blocking Internet traffic. The Foundation shall also conduct commerce through providing Internet services in Sweden and abroad that further these causes.
The Foundation shall have a Board of Trustees that manages the assets of the Foundation in accordance with the purposes of the foundation. Statutes concerning the Board and management of the foundation is to be found in attached By-laws of the Foundation.
The undersigned founders hereby form a foundation with the above-mentioned purposes with the name “5:e juli-stiftelsen” [5th of July Foundation] and hand over a founding grant of one hundred thousand kronor (100 000 SEK) through a deposit to the foundation’s bank account.
Stockholm March 18, 2013
Jon Karlung Andreas Norman Oscar Swartz
