On 10 October 2024, a pre-recorded video message from Internet Society President and CEO Sally Wentworth was shown during the 25th anniversary celebration of the Internet Society Netherlands Chapter.
Hello! I am Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society and the Internet Society Foundation, and it is my great honor to congratulate our Netherlands Chapter on its 25th anniversary, and the Dutch Internet Standards Platform on its 10th anniversary. Congratulations to both organizations – and THANK YOU for all you have done for the Internet.
I especially want to congratulate the chapter on your impactful advocacy on encryption and recognize the victory this week where the government of the Netherlands announced that they would NOT be supporting the EU’s client-side scanning proposal. I know that this involved strong advocacy by our Chapter, as well as other organizations connected to the Global Encryption Coalition. Whatever happens in the final EU vote, I want to thank you for all you did to achieve this victory!
Perhaps because of the Netherlands’ historic role as a hub for commerce and collaboration, the Dutch Internet community has been lifting beyond its weight when it comes to the development of the Internet. It was one of the first countries that connected to the Internet from outside of the United States, thereby helping to make the Internet truly global. It has been an active participant in the development of the Internet and is the home of pioneers and world-renowned Internet institutions such as the RIPE NCC, SIDN, and Surfnet. The Internet Hall of Fame has 7 Dutch inductees and Dutch open source software is used for critical Internet operations around the world. The Dutch government and the Dutch Internet community strongly support the Free and Open Internet and are champions of the multistakeholder Internet governance.
And, of course, the Netherlands Chapter has been such a strong part of our community over the past 25 years – I am grateful for all you have done, and continue to do. Your work battling disinformation and advancing the use of encryption is so important as we look at how to ensure a safe and secure online experience for everyone.
With my long interest in Internet policy, I applaud your exploration of new ideas such as establishing the ISOC NL Think Tank to produce independent policy research and knowledge. I am impressed by the working groups you have created and the many activities your chapter is doing. Thank you for your leadership in this area.
Our work continues, of course. We must all strive to ensure that people everywhere have access to affordable, reliable, and resilient Internet. That connectivity must be interoperable – which is why the Dutch Internet Standards Platform is so important – so that people everywhere have equal opportunities to create, innovate, and build communities online.
There is so much we need to do.
Thank you for the last 25 years of the Chapter, and the 10 years of the platform, and I look forward to working with you and celebrating many future anniversaries together, as we collectively work to ensure that the Internet truly is for everyone.