Human rights and ICTs

Silencing the media won’t stop the Thailand protests
Silencing the media won’t stop the Thailand protests 27 October 2020 Sek Sophal for EngageMedia

Sweeping to power by the military coup in May 2014, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is known for not being friendly to any independent media. As the protests against his government keep growing across the country,  the decision to ban the four independent media houses is nothing but another sign of policy failure to handle the situation.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and human rights
The COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and human rights 21 October 2020 APCNews

APC with members of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms Coalition called on authors from the region to develop a series of reports on the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and human rights. Read the summaries of the 19 papers here.

Tanzania tramples digital rights in fight against COVID-19 as elections loom
Tanzania tramples digital rights in fight against COVID-19 as elections loom 19 October 2020 CIPESA

Since the first case of COVID-19 was announced in Tanzania in March, the government has been in the spotlight for its handling of the pandemic. It has denied its severity, suspended media houses, and criminalised COVID-19 related speech through enactment and enforcement of repressive regulations.

EngageMedia's Pretty Good Podcast: Youth and online activism at Thailand protests
EngageMedia's Pretty Good Podcast: Youth and online activism at Thailand protests 19 October 2020 EngageMedia

Piyanut Kotsan, director of Amnesty International Thailand, enumerates the human and digital rights issues and violations occurring during the recent youth-led protests, from the disproportionate use of laws against dissenting opinions to the increase in online harassment against young protesters. 

Towards ending digital gender marginalisation
Towards ending digital gender marginalisation 19 October 2020 Y. Z. Yau for CITAD

A team of staff of CITAD went to Shara in the Sumaila local government area of Kano to conduct a COVID-19 sensitisation programme for teachers and students as well as parents of Shara Primary School, a community school that CITAD and the community established about four years ago.

Joint submission on proposed amendments to the South African Domestic Violence Act
Joint submission on proposed amendments to the South African Domestic Violence Act 15 October 2020 Various

On 9 October 2020, Research ICT Africa (RIA), APC, ALT Advisory and the Feministing While African (FWA) network made a submission to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services of South Africa in response to proposed amendments to the Domestic Violence Act.

Joint civil society letter to the UN treaty bodies and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Joint civil society letter to the UN treaty bodies and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 12 October 2020 Various

A geographically representative group of 527 civil society organisations has called for the resumption of the state monitoring procedure of the international human rights treaty bodies, which have been postponed since March due to COVID-19 restrictions.

HRC45: Civil society presents key takeaways from Human Rights Council
HRC45: Civil society presents key takeaways from Human Rights Council 08 October 2020 Various

Fourteen organisations share reflections on the outcomes of the 45th session of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the missed opportunities to address key issues such as deadly migration routes at EU and US borders and the human rights situations in Algeria, Bolivia, China, Egypt and India.

Joint civil society feedback on the Open-ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security revised non-paper norms proposals
Joint civil society feedback on the Open-ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security revised non-paper norms proposals 30 September 2020 Various

Global cyber governance, including the protection of a secure and stable cyberspace, cannot be limited to any one actor. Therefore, an inclusive approach to maintaining peace and stability in cyberspace is needed, as emphasised by the organisations who jointly submitted this feedback to the OEWG.

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