IGF 2024 WS #252 Bridging the Gap among Policy and Practice in Digital Rights

    Organizer 1: Herman Ramos, 🔒Inaglobe
    Organizer 2: Samik Kharel, 🔒Independent
    Organizer 3: Mohamed Salah, 🔒Canar Telecommunication
    Organizer 4: Harimino Lalatiana Rakotondrainibe, 🔒

    Speaker 1: Harimino Lalatiana Rakotondrainibe, Civil Society, African Group
    Speaker 2: Samik Kharel, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 3: Morales Angulo Cristina de los Angeles, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
    Speaker 4: Mohamed Salah, Technical Community, African Group

    Moderator

    Herman Ramos, Technical Community, African Group

    Online Moderator

    Mohamed Salah, Technical Community, African Group

    Rapporteur

    Mohamed Salah, Technical Community, African Group

    Format

    Roundtable
    Duration (minutes): 90
    Format description: This format encourages a more inclusive and interactive environment, allowing participants to move around freely and engage in the discussion. This format promotes networking and fosters diverse perspectives, enhancing the richness of the conversation. It also, promotes active participation and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their insights and experiences effectively.
    The 90-minute duration strikes a balance between providing sufficient time for in-depth discussions and ensuring that participants remain engaged and focused throughout the session. It allows for a structured flow of activities, including introductions, presentations, breakout discussions, and concluding remarks, without feeling rushed or prolonged.

    Policy Question(s)

    A. How can cultural contexts be integrated into regional and national policies to ensure the protection of human rights in the digital sphere?
    B. What is the current landscape of digital human rights, including existing legal frameworks, declarations, and law enforcement practices, and how are they being implemented across diverse legal systems?
    C. What conceptual shifts are necessary to accommodate digital rights within the broader framework of human rights, and how can these changes inform policy development?
    D. How can the multistakeholder model be effectively leveraged to promote diversity and inclusion in shaping policies addressing the complexities of physical/digital spaces?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in this session will gain a nuanced understanding of the intricate relationship between human rights and digital technologies, viewing them as complementary aspects of modern society and its policies. Through insightful discussions, attendees will explore innovative approaches to teaching human rights theory in the digital age and adapt to the evolving landscape of digital rights.
    With a focus on empowering stakeholders in global south, the session aims to catalyze advocacy efforts for the adoption of digital human rights, fostering global collaboration and multistakeholder engagement. Attendees will develop the analytical tools to assess the complexities of human rights in the digital realm, recognizing the challenges posed by governmental interventions and vague legal frameworks.
    Ultimately, the session advocates for a normative vision that prioritizes multistakeholder cooperation over state-centric approaches, paving the way for a more inclusive and rights-respecting digital future.

    Description:

    With the ubiquity of digital technologies, there is a need to stringently advocate, adhere, and implement human rights in cyberspace. However, the translation of these rights into effective protections remains a pressing challenge. While the UN Human Rights Council asserts the equivalence of offline and online rights, the practical application of these principles in the digital sphere presents unique complexities.
    The rapid evolution of digital technologies has blurred the lines between physical and virtual realms, resulting in a fragmented human rights framework. Governments, in response, have escalated online censorship, suppressed legitimate expression, and compromised privacy and data protection.
    In our pursuit for the "The internet we want" and inclusive empowerment, it is imperative to re-evaluate and recalibrate the concept of human rights in the digital age. This necessitates a comprehensive examination of digital "human" rights to inform policy development and ensure the holistic protection of fundamental rights across the digital ecosystem.
    Our session will delve into the state of digital rights across diverse jurisdictions, legal frameworks, and law enforcement practices. We will confront the challenges posed by government-led online censorship, privacy infringements, and intermediary liability, evaluating the efficacy of existing legal mechanisms in safeguarding digital rights amidst governmental interventions. Our focus will be on developing nations but will extrapolate further on how bigger economies can help shape universal rights considering the nuances of culture and contexts from smaller economies.
    Furthermore, we will critically analyze the evolving landscape of human rights, recognizing the need for dynamic normative frameworks to address emerging digital challenges. By fostering nuanced discussions and conceptual clarity, we aim to catalyze the development of robust legal and policy frameworks that uphold digital rights and facilitate activism and advocacy on national, regional, and international platforms.

    Expected Outcomes

    1. Enhance capacity building for participants, including regulators and civil society organizations, to deepen their understanding of the evolving concept of human rights in the digital age and strategies for ensuring digital rights in diverse contexts.
    2. Creation of a comprehensive document and article serving as a guide for human rights defenders, scholars, governments, civil society, and businesses.
    3. Production of blogs, commentaries, and social media posts to disseminate key insights and findings to a broader audience.
    4. Facilitation of joint events and dialogues among stakeholders worldwide to discuss significant shifts in the concept of human rights vis-à-vis digital rights.
    5. Establishment of a consultative platform and knowledge resource for ongoing reference and collaboration among participants and interested parties.

    Hybrid Format: To ensure effective interaction between onsite and online participants, the session will be structured to facilitate seamless engagement throughout. The session will begin with an introduction, followed by presentations or discussions by the speakers. Attendees, both onsite and online, will then be encouraged to actively participate in discussions and contribute their insights. This interactive format will allow for continuous engagement and exchange of ideas between all participants.
    The session will be moderated by both an onsite and an online moderator. The onsite moderator will manage the session and onsite attendees, while also facilitating communication with virtual participants. The online moderator will monitor the chat, questions, and contributions from online attendees, ensuring their active involvement in the discussion. Both moderators will encourage attendees to ask questions, share experiences, and actively participate in the session.
    Complementary online tools/platforms, such as chat forums, polling features, and virtual breakout rooms, will be utilize.