Strengthening digital rights protection: National human rights institutions unite
The Danish Institute for Human Rights led a peer-learning workshop focused on digital rights protection in the lead-up to the Internet Governance Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This event brought together 14 staff members from ten national human rights institutions across the globe, equipping them with essential knowledge and tools to address the human rights implications of digital technologies.
Our work in Ethiopia is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Emerging technologies such as facial recognition, AI-based profiling, internet banking and digital identity systems pose new human rights challenges, necessitating a proactive response from national human rights institutions. The workshop empowered participants to mainstream digital rights within their institutions’ mandate areas, assess the impact by technology on human rights and deepen their understanding of rights in the digital space.
The Internet Governance Forum saw unprecedented involvement of national human rights institutions, particularly from the Global South, with many participants actively contributing to sessions for the first time. This newfound confidence bolstered the recognition of the crucial role of national human rights institutions in focusing on human rights within digital transitions.
The NHRI Digital Rights Alliance, established in March 2022, comprises members from 24 countries who are committed to addressing the challenges of digitalisation on human rights. Initiatives include developing a reflection tool on the roles of national human rights institutions in tech and human rights and contributing to international processes. This growing alliance demonstrates national human rights institutions’ dedication to shaping the future of digital rights protection and promoting human rights online as well as offline.