Drafted jointly and agreed to by consensus April 
20, 2007 at the 5th International Forum on Online 
Dispute Resolution in Liverpool, England – held 
in collaboration with the United Nations Economic 
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

“While information and communications 
technologies (ICT) enable unprecedented 
interactions between individuals around the 
world, they also introduce some dynamics that can degrade dialogue.
ICT enables people to communicate immediately and 
anonymously, often without moderation, and in 
some circumstances this encourages behavior (such 
as threats or insults) that most individuals 
would never engage in face-to-face.  This 
behavior may make people feel unwelcome, disrespected, or harassed in
their online interactions. Ultimately, 
individuals may be dissuaded by these dynamics 
from participating, which undermines the vibrancy of our global conversation.

As a result, we encourage individuals to:
• communicate online with respect
• listen carefully to others in order to understand their perspectives
• take responsibility for their words and actions
• keep criticism constructive
• respect diversity and be tolerant of differences

We embrace full and open communication and 
recognize the unique opportunity for expression 
in the online environment. We support freedom of 
speech and reject censorship. These principles 
are not intended to address what ideas can be 
expressed, but rather the tone with which communications take place.”



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