Today, the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) has published the “Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age” during a hybrid launch-event at the 2023 Internet Governance Forum in Kyoto, Japan.
The Donor Principles call on governments with international development and assistance programming to advance an affirmative, rights-respecting agenda to promote a digital future that upholds the commitment to ‘do no harm.’ They are driven by the ideal that donors should invest in digital technologies and data collection only when it is possible to protect against their potential misuse, and when procedures are put in place to facilitate this protection.
The Principles are grounded in international human rights frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and align with the broader vision that, to enable individual dignity and economic prosperity, technology should be harnessed in a manner that is open, sustainable, secure, and respectful of democratic values and human rights.
The Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age set out the following normative guidelines for democracy-affirming and rights-respecting donor investment:
- Support partner countries to align their legal and regulatory frameworks and technical standards with international human rights considerations.
- Support the development and implementation of digital government and data management systems that promote and strengthen democratic governance and respect for human rights.
- Collaborate with the private sector to drive rights-respecting investment and innovation and advance shared goals.
- Request an impact assessment process for how human rights considerations are integrated into all programs with digital components.
- Prioritize digital inclusion, including by engaging with stakeholders, supporting local research, and leveraging resources from local digital ecosystems.
- Foster coordination and strengthen alliances between stakeholders and among donor governments.
- Support the growth of a rights-respecting technology workforce.
- Prioritize digital security and safety in the development and implementation of programs, the use of digital tools, and the management of data.
- Adopt and promote the Principles for Digital Development, including by integrating digital solutions across sectors and programs, if appropriate.
The development of the Donor Principles was led by the co-Chairs of the FOC’s Funding Coordination Group, the United States and Canada, and drafted and negotiated by the FOC’s 38 Member States, with input from the independent multistakeholder FOC Advisory Network. To ensure an inclusive approach to the development of the Principles, the FCG also held a public consultation inviting feedback from State institutions, international and regional organisations, civil society, scholars, and other stakeholders.
Over the coming months, the Funding Coordination Group will build upon input received during the 2023 IGF session to continue exploring methods to turn the Principles into concrete action, and to discuss how existing multistakeholder fora can be leveraged to generate support for the implementation of the Donor Principles. To get involved in implementing the Donor Principles and to provide feedback, please contact donorprinciples@freedomonlinecoalition.com.
To view the Principles, visit the following link or view the document below.
