Engage with the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms
The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms was developed to broaden the view of civil and political rights to include internet-related issues that are important for developing country actors. Those for whom the internet is a vital platform for expression and participation, including women’s rights activists and people of diverse sexualities and gender identities, will see their issues reflected in the Declaration.
For years, APC has been working with other organisations and human rights defenders from Africa to promote internet rights in the continent. The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms is a key tool. The launch of our new platform, Engage.AfricanInternetRights.org is for rights advocates to engage with the Declaration by sharing resources and to make visible internet rights in Africa in action. Visitors interested in African internet rights can share research, resources, case studies and multimedia content that is related to the principles of the Declaration.
Who should use the platform?
Human rights defenders, journalists, policy makers. Anyone interested in internet rights, particularly in the African continent can view the Declaration and supplementary content related to each principle as well as read an FAQ about the Declaration.
Internet rights and human rights activists can add their research, publications, events, videos, images and more, which is categorised by principles in the Declaration.
When are we launching it?
On 26 July, 11 am UTC, we launched Engage.AfricanInternetRights.org through a campaign on social media. It was facilitated by @APC_News and @AfricaNetRights on Twitter, with the hashtag #AfricanInternetRights. See the hashtag to follow discussions on the principles of the AD, projects, ideas and questions on how to use it to promote internet rights in the continent.
More about the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms
The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, of which APC is a founding member, is not proposing new rights. It is simply a way of drawing attention to the need to recognise these rights on the internet and holding governments accountable for complying with agreed rights. APC, as part of the Declaration Secretariat, plays a lead role in building awareness and support for the Declaration with two goals in mind: to make African rights groups and media practitioners aware of how important protecting rights on the internet is to their work, and to achieve greater respect for human rights on the internet at all levels, but particularly among governments, parliamentarians and intergovernmental bodies by making them aware and accountable for upholding rights, to which they have already agreed.
The African Declaration interactive platform is part of APC’s project Building feminist cross-movement collaboration and action on internet and human rights in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean .
See also: Call for contributions on the internet and human rights in Africa .