Protecting & Promoting Digital Rights in Africa

PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 2024

In 2012, the UN Human Rights Council affirmed that human rights in the digital realm must be protected and promoted to the same extent and with the same commitment as human rights in the physical world. Since then, standards and norms have been developed that interpret how these rights apply in the context of the Internet, online surveillance, social media, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technologies.

The goal of this Toolkit is to provide National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Africa with practical information that will assist them to better document, analyze, and report on digital rights topics in their countries. The Toolkit presents NHRIs with an introductory primer on the most salient digital rights topics, such as network disruptions, surveillance, and online content restrictions. It also provides links to additional resources from United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and digital rights organizations to help Commissioners explore the topic deeper as they develop their strategies and methodologies for incorporating digital rights protection and promotion into their work, including when they are monitoring violations.

This Toolkit was developed by the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law through close collaboration and support from Paradigm Initiative and the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). Download the full toolkit here.

Learn more about the issue and explore ICNL’s analysis on Technology & Civic Space here.