RightsCon: Advancing Digital Inclusion Through the Freedom Online Coalition: Upholding Democracy and Human Rights in the Digital Age

The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) is a partnership of 34 countries and counting committed to helping ensure that international rights and freedoms hold fast online. Since the FOC’s inception in 2011, digital technologies and the Internet have acted as an accelerant for political, social, and economic change. While advancements in digital tech have enriched society, they have also reinforced and even accelerated inequalities and eroded our democratic institutions. The rapidly evolving digital landscape has revealed that the Internet and digital technologies can undermine peace, prosperity, and individual freedom. Last year marked the sixteenth consecutive year of decline in global freedom and the tenth consecutive year where Internet freedom declined worldwide. Digital authoritarianism continues to proliferate, as evidenced by rising internet shutdowns, pervasive disinformation, and more sophisticated tactics to surveil, repress, and manipulate both domestic and foreign audiences.

This hour-long panel will provide RightsCon participants with the opportunity to learn about Canada’s 2022 Chairship of the FOC with a focus on digital inclusion, as the starting point for redefining democracy and human rights in the digital age. It will officially launch the FOC’s global social media campaign to highlight the importance of digital inclusion. A substantial number of the world remains unconnected and unable to participate in the digital public square, connectivity is needed to bridge digital divides worldwide. Digital literacy and diversity of content are vital to empower the public to navigate online spaces. Meaningful digital inclusion also demands a digital environment that enables civic participation. And governments and technology companies need to safeguard users’ data and privacy to ensure safety and trust in technology.

This panel will bring together Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, senior officials and multistakeholder experts from civil society, academia, and industry to discuss the FOC’s vision for tackling the leading human rights issues in the digital age.