Tag: United Nations
Blog
At the U.N., a new push to end surveillance of protesters — and protect their lawyers
Digital surveillance is threatening the right to protest worldwide. U.N. human rights expert Clément Voule is fighting for strong encryption and tight restrictions on the use of spyware. Here’s why that push is important for human rights lawyers and the activists they represent.…
7 July 2021
Press Releases
U.N. declaration: Egypt’s attack on civil society must desist
Access Now joins the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and civil society organizations from around the world in welcoming and supporting a joint declaration by U.N. member states condemning the deteriorating human rights situation in Egypt — both online and off.…
15 March 2021
Blog
At U.N. meeting, Access Now stresses cybersecurity must center and protect civil society
At a meeting Tuesday of the United Nations Open-ended Working Group (OEWG), we provided civil society input on a proposed report that addresses cybersecurity. We strongly support the OEWG report, but we believe governments can do better.…
10 March 2021
Blog
To protect privacy in the digital age, world governments can and must do more
The latest U.N. privacy resolution does not go far enough, missing the opportunity to respond firmly to the human rights threats posed by systemic racism, artificial intelligence, facial recognition technology, and other key technological and social developments.…
25 January 2021
Blog
Can human rights survive the digital age? Only if we do these things
“We’re at a human rights tipping point.” On Human Rights Day of 2020, Access Now’s Brett Solomon maps out a pathway to take us to a full implementation and vindication of these rights, not just in principle, but in policy and practice. …
10 December 2020
Blog
Fighting systemic racism in the digital age: a global challenge
On Human Rights Day of 2020, we highlight the mandate of E. Tendayi Achiume, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to fight systematic racism.…
9 December 2020
Press Releases
Human rights groups to U.N. High Commissioner: U.S. police violence against anti-racism protesters rampant
Calling attention to the U.S. Government’s violent response to peaceful protests against racism, human rights organizations join forces to send a joint submission to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights urging immediate action. …
4 December 2020
Blog
Rights-based Digital Cooperation requires transparency on the U.N. Tech Envoy
Five months after the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General called on the international community to spearhead its implementation, we’re taking a critical look at progress on the U.N. Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. So far, civil society engagement around selection of the U.N. Tech Envoy — a critical component of the Roadmap — has been lacking.…
25 November 2020
Blog
More than 3.5 billion left in the dark: why we’re still fighting to reach U.N. targets for internet access
If we don’t reach U.N. targets for internet access — providing everyone, everywhere with affordable, open, secure, and high-quality connectivity — we won’t meet the sustainable development goals by 2030. …
5 November 2020
Press Releases
UNGA 75 Side Event: COVID-19, Surveillance, and the Right to Privacy
The United National General Assembly 75th session is in full swing, and digital rights are taking centre stage at “Protecting Human Rights During the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond: Digital Pandemic Surveillance and the Right to Privacy” co-organized by Access Now.…
2 October 2020
Blog
Watch: Access Now’s Joseph Steele addresses 75th United Nations General Assembly
In a U.N. meeting on protecting future generations in the digital era, Steele urged global stakeholders to cease exploitative data collection, renew the commitment to bring everyone meaningfully online, and stop internet shutdowns and unlawful censorship.…
23 September 2020
Blog
Digital rights are human rights: Holding Australia, Georgia, Myanmar, and Nauru to account at the U.N.
When member states fail to protect human rights — such as by cutting off internet access in the middle of a global pandemic — we leverage the UPR process to call attention to that failure and press for change. …
10 September 2020
Blog
Pandemics, protests, and power in digital spaces: the 44th U.N. Human Rights Council Session in review
In the context of COVID-19 and a wave of protests across the globe, the U.N. Human Rights Council held its 44th session. Here’s our read-out on the reports and resolutions that are key for defending digital rights around the world.…
26 August 2020
Blog
New U.N. “Roadmap” on tech: only useful if we drive “digital cooperation” forward
What role can the United Nations play in shaping the future of digital rights? A new Roadmap for Digital Cooperation aims to galvanize efforts to “connect, respect, and protect people in the digital age.” Will it work?…
23 June 2020