The Stockholm Internet Forum (SIF) is an international forum for in-depth dialogue and discussions on how a free, open and secure internet promotes human rights and development worldwide.

The next SIF, hosted by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), will take place on May 17-18th 2017 in Stockholm.

Arranged since 2012 by the Swedish Government, the Forum aims to bring together policymakers, civil society representatives, activists, business representatives and technical community representatives. SIF has a standing tradition of focusing on the global south and half of the participants come from low-and middle-income countries, often from places where internet access is restricted and efforts to promote both internet freedom and human rights can be dangerous.

In this video, Lennart Båge, the acting Director General of Sida, talks about access and power and talks about the importance of the forum as a platform for knowledge sharing.

Stockholm Internet Forum 2017 will focus on the connections between access and power. One key issue is the empowering benefits of Internet accessibility – targeting both political, economic and social aspects of power.

A major focus will continue to be on community building and learning, making sure that the competence of participating individuals and organisations is used most effectively. Building on the Swedish feminist foreign policy, there will be a strong focus on gender equality issues which we consider has a great potential to provide not just a better understanding of power relations but is also an effective way of finding solutions to societal inequalities.

Making All Voices Count Director Fletcher Tembo will be speaking at the event.

Find out more about the Stockholm Internet Forum 2017