Ministers and officials from leading industrial nations agreed Wednesday to make the Internet safer and more accessible, to strengthen its role as a driving force in the global economy.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ministerial meeting adopted a "Seoul declaration" after a two-day forum on the future of the Internet economy.
"We agree that our challenges are...to expand Internet access and use worldwide... (and) ensure the protection of personal information in the online environment," it said.
"We declare that, to contribute to the development of the Internet economy, we will...strengthen confidence and security."
The declaration cites the need to strengthen security, reduce malicious activity online and protect personal data as well as privacy.
It also promises to use the medium to address challenges such as global warming, declaring: "We will work to use the tools of the Internet economy to address global challenges, such as climate change.”