Governance

The Independent Advisory Committee guides the Operating Board, including through an annual report advising on organizational priorities and reflecting on previous performance. Independent Advisory Committee meetings are held in conjunction with meetings of the Operating Board. The Independent Advisory Committee includes a minority of members from government and inter-governmental entities and a majority drawn from civil society understood broadly to include, among others, advocacy groups, human rights specialists, foundations, researchers and technical experts. All government representatives must represent governments that are members of the Freedom Online Coalition. The Independent Advisory Committee chair will always be a non-governmental representative. The Operating Board periodically reviews and updates the composition of the Independent Advisory Committee, with the intent of maintaining continuity of the group, encouraging diverse thinking and representing the global community.

The Operating Board provides GIFCT’s operational budget and ensures overall GIFCT operations align with its mission. The Operating Board is composed of GIFCT’s founding members; at least one rotating company from the broader membership cadre; new companies that meet leadership criteria, and the rotating chair of the Independent Advisory Committee, who participates as a non-voting member. The Operating Board chair rotates annually. For 2021, Twitter is chair.