ARTICLE 19 presents recommendations for the UN Global Digital Compact

The British human rights organization developed the recommendations, with the participation of representatives of civil society and other non-governmental organizations.

The goal of the Global Digital Compact is to “define shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.”

ARTICLE 19 spokeswoman Anna Oesterlinck said the human rights organization supports the Canadian experts' message that "there is no need to choose between state sovereignty and human rights, or between sustainable development and human rights - in fact, this is a false choice."

“Human rights are central to the rule of law and are a condition for achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), eliminating all digital inequalities and realizing digital benefits for all humanity,” emphasizes Oosterlinck.

The human rights activist voiced a number of basic recommendations to the UN Treaty:

• The contract must clearly state that the same rights apply offline and online.
• It is necessary to emphasize key rights in the digital sphere, such as the right to freedom of expression and information, rights to privacy and data protection, and rights to equality.
• The principles set out must be transparent, inclusive, accountable, protected by effective legal means and applied to all obligations.
• States should refrain from mass surveillance. They should also not undermine encryption and anonymity measures on the Internet.
• Countries should refrain from restrictions that do not comply with human rights requirements, such as internet shutdowns, filtering or blocking of websites.
• The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) should remain the primary platform for open discussions on online governance.

Let us recall that at the National Internet Governance Forum in Kazakhstan a session was held on Internet accessibility during disasters and states of emergency, which corresponds to the recommendations of ARTICLE 19.


(translation was carried out automatically)