Brussels, 14/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - At the opening of the 5th Internet Governance Forum on Tuesday 14 September, Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes stressed that the internet had to remain a thriving open platform. “Freedom of expression is not only a basic human right - it is also a key element for tomorrow's social and economic development: it allows the free movement of ideas and innovation,” she argued. At the forum, Kroes will also back the new system of Internationalised Domain Names (IDN), which allows people and businesses to use a script other than Latin script for their domain names and email addresses. This means that each territory will be able to decide for itself how it wishes to implement internet developments, the European Commission points out. The forum opened in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday 14 September and will run until Friday 17. Participants will discuss both how to protect the freedom of the internet and also how to protect users from dangers. The Council of Europe will present its most recent work on protecting human rights online and providing an adequate legal framework for the internet. (I.L./transl.rt)