This year, under the Estonian Chairship of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), the FOC aims to advance digital inclusion, including through the promotion of inclusive and rights-respecting digital public infrastructure (DPI).
DPI is an important enabling component towards digital inclusion, with the potential to promote reliable, inclusive, and meaningful connectivity and access to bridge digital divides, and to strengthen civic participation online. However, implementation without human rights safeguards can lead to negative outcomes, including adverse impacts on human rights.
When designed and deployed in a rights-respecting, inclusive, and collaborative manner, including with access to effective remedy and redress, DPI can work towards securing social and economic benefits for communities, and enable the fulfillment and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly for marginalised groups.
In-line with these efforts and the implementation of the 2025 Program of Action, Estonia is leading the development of ‘Rights-Respecting Digital Public Infrastructure Principles’, drawing on global best practices and frameworks, including the Universal DPI Safeguards and the GovStack Principles. The principles will establish a common understanding within the FOC of rights-respecting and inclusive DPI, with input from the broader multistakeholder community.
As Chair of the FOC, Estonia invites Member States, national human rights bodies, and other relevant State institutions, international and regional organisations, civil society, scholars, and other interested individuals and organisations to provide written comments and/ or suggested edits to the DPI Principles draft by COB UTC Friday, 4 April 2025.
To provide input, please download the DPI principles (.docx file) to include comments and/or suggested edits in track changes, and send the document as an attachment via email to the FOC Support Unit (info@freedomonlinecoalition.com). Should you have any questions, please reach out to the Support Unit via the above email address.
