UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on human rights and the internet
On 4 July 2018, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted a resolution on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet.
The Resolution affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression. Further, the Resolution, amongst other things, calls on states to–
- Promote digital literacy and to facilitate access to information on the internet for all children.
- Bridge the digital divides, including the gender digital divide, and to enhance the use of information and communications technology.
- Ensure effective remedies for human rights violations, including those relating to the internet, in accordance with their international obligations.
- Address security concerns on the internet in accordance with their international human rights obligations to ensure the protection of all human rights online.
- Create and maintain, in law and practice, a safe and enabling online environment for the enjoyment of human rights so that journalists may perform their work independently and without undue or unlawful interference.
- Consider formulating and adopting national internet-related public policies that have at their core the objective of universal access, and the enjoyment of human rights.
The full resolution is accessible here.
Please note: The information contained in this note is for general guidance on matters of interest, and does not constitute legal advice. For any enquiries, please contact us at [email protected].