human rights and ICTs
At this year’s Stockholm Internet Forum (SIF), as in years past, the APC network was actively engaged, by organising, co-organising, speaking at and participating in sessions and workshops. The theme of SIF 2019 was “Shrinking Democratic Space Online”.
As an internet rights activist based in the global South, I often find myself musing over whether access to a safe, free and open internet is possible. This is why, for me, the highlight of the Stockholm Internet Forum this year was the focus on the status of democracy in a digital era.
Amid growing concern about digital surveillance and the restriction of rights online, APC and its network have continued to fight for a free and open internet that protects and enables human rights for all. This overview explores how the APC community worked to protect and promote rights in 2018.
The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms Secretariat and several members of the African Declaration Coalition met in Entebbe, Uganda to brainstorm on the building blocks of a 36-month strategic plan for cultivating an environment that respects human rights online in the region.
We the undersigned civil society organisations call on the international community, including the United Nations, multilateral and regional institutions as well as democratic governments committed to the freedom of expression, to take immediate steps to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for grave human rights violations.
Analysing recent policy developments from across the continent, Majama stressed that a sustainable digitalisation strategy will depend on the “sincere political will” to shift from top-down decision making to a participant culture that puts citizens at the heart of policy making.
The 39th session of the HRC is taking place on 10-28 September 2018 in Geneva. A number of reports, resolutions and side events will address the online dimension of human rights issues, in addition to Universal Periodic Review reports that touch on specific governments’ records on internet rights.
On 10 August, Michelle Bachelet was confirmed as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The APC community has developed a list of priorities for the High Commissioner for her consideration when beginning her four-year term on 1 September.
The purpose of this review was to look back over the past decade of country reports published in Global Information Society Watch (GISWatch) and attempt to identify trends in civil society perspectives on what needed to be done to create a people- centred information society.
The 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council reflected growth in the Council’s understanding of the scope of internet-related human rights and the outcomes were valuable overall and will contribute to the advancement of norms concerning internet rights, despite challenges to progressive initiatives from many states.
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2022
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