Learning event for NHRIs: How to realise the NHRI mandate areas in relation to human rights & technology

The negative human rights impacts of digital technologies, such as restrictions on privacy, threats to freedom of expression, and discrimination against marginalized individuals and groups are multiplying. Many NHRIs are considering how to address these impacts in their work, but are still struggling with the organisational and strategic prioritisation that this entails.

Based on peer-learning and sharing of experiences, this workshop aims to enable participants to identify the human rights impacts of digital technologies in their countries, to determine the links to their mandate areas and empower them to identify next steps for their institutions to address these impacts. It will consist of a day-and-a-half of workshops on 28 and 29 November in the run up to the Internet Governance Forum, allowing participants both to attend the training and different IGF sessions of their interest.

The workshop is co-hosted by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission at their premises in Addis Ababa, and will be facilitated by the DIHR.

Registration

NHRIs interested in participating should fill out this expression of interest form before 30 September 2022: https://forms.office.com/r/jGcyzwYTvC or contact LIRA@humanrights.dk

The event is open to a maximum of 20 participants from the NHRIs members of the Digital Rights Alliance and the regional networks.

*Grants available: The workshop is free of charge and a limited number of travel grants are available for Global South NHRIs to cover participants’ travel and accommodation costs.

Workshop Programme

• Session 1: Why should NHRIs engage with the technology and human rights agenda?

  • Introduction to human rights in the digital space
  • The Paris Principles in the digital age and the protect and promote functions of NHRIs

• Session 2: How can NHRIs address the tech and human rights nexus within their mandate areas?

  • Mandate areas and how they relate to tech (complaints-handling, monitoring/investigations, advising government, human rights education etc…).
  • Human rights risks and opportunities related to the mandate area
  • Examples of NHRIs actions/best practices

• Session 3: How can NHRIs can engage with different types of actors and stakeholders when working with tech and human rights, such as state actors, private actors, civil society and academia?

  • Roles and obligations
  • Types of possible engagement
  • Examples of NHRI actions/best practices

• Session 4: Where do NHRIs go from here - strategic and practical steps

  • Discussion of the strategic and organisational needs and challenges of NHRIs
  • Participants draft their own personal action plan to operationalise their learning describing a concrete activity they want to initiate and its goals, target audience, resources, challenges and timeline.