Dear all

Earlier this week the Wikimedia Foundation, along with twelve Wikimedia affiliates including Wikimedia UK, published an open letter https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2024/04/23/open-letter-protect-wikipedia-global-digital-compact/ calling on UN Member States to include commitments in the Global Digital Compact that can allow online public interest projects, such as Wikipedia, to thrive. This was accompanied by emails to specific dignitaries—including (for example) the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the UK Mission to the UN, Dame Barbara Woodward—as well as a media and social media campaign.

Signatories of the letter call on the UN Member States to embrace a positive vision for the internet’s future in which diverse communities anywhere are empowered and supported to build and operate free and open knowledge projects.The letter https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2024/04/23/open-letter-protect-wikipedia-global-digital-compact/ currently has over 100 signatures and we are hoping for volunteer editors to sign in an individual capacity, as well as for organised groups to sign. *Please consider signing yourself, and perhaps sharing via social media. *

The Global Digital Compact is a UN initiative to create an international doctrine to help ensure that digital technologies are used responsibly and for the benefit of all, while addressing the digital divide and fostering a safe and inclusive digital environment. The Global Advocacy team at the Wikimedia Foundation is working with a core group of affiliates https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Global_Digital_Compact_Wikimedia_Advocacy_Collaboration_2024 on our response to this initiative and our first project together has been the creation and distribution of the open letter.

Thanks for your support for this initiative.

Best wishes Lucy