Ardern to take charge of combating online extremism in New Zealand following her resignation as prime minister

4 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has appointed his predecessor, Jacinda Ardern, as the new special envoy for the Christchurch Call, an initiative she launched in 2019 to combat the rise of online extremism.

Ardern has renounced receiving any salary for this position, which will begin on April 17, according to the office of the current head of government. The former prime minister will report directly to Hipkins, who has set the Christchurch Call initiative as “a foreign policy priority.”

The project arose as a result of the attacks perpetrated against two mosques in Christchurch, which resulted in fifty fatalities. Hipkins has acknowledged that although ‘online’ extremism is a global problem, “for many New Zealanders it is a very personal matter” in the wake of such attacks.

“The commitment that we saw that day in Jacinda Ardern to combat extremist content shows why she should take on this task,” added the current leader, in relation to future work that will lead the former prime minister to deal with political leaders and Also with technology companies.

In addition to creating safe environments, the Christchurch Call will also look at new areas to determine, for example, how internet algorithms can affect radicalization or the risks associated with artificial intelligence programs.