Today, Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, announced the publication of the Rights-Respecting Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Principles during the 2025 Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) Ministerial Meeting, “Building a Digitally Inclusive Future for All,” held on the margins of the Tallinn Digital Summit.
Issued by the undersigned Members and Observer of the FOC, the Principles set out a shared commitment to advance knowledge and understanding of frameworks for human rights-respecting, resilient, safe, inclusive, and interoperable digital public infrastructure. They aim to promote inclusive connectivity and civic participation while addressing potential risks related to exclusion, discrimination, surveillance, and privacy.
Drawing on global best practices and frameworks – including the Universal DPI Safeguards and GovStack principles – the Principles outline twelve key areas that can help ensure DPI systems are designed and deployed responsibly and in alignment with international human rights law and standards. These include human rights-based solutions, inclusivity, international human rights law, transparency and accountability, privacy and security, societal context, sustainability and resilience, evidence-based decision-making, interoperability, technology neutrality, openness, and multistakeholder collaboration.
The development of the Principles was informed by a year-long consultative process that began with a public call for input and continued through discussions and regional dialogues held across multiple regional and global fora – including RightsCon in Taiwan, the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Zambia, EuroDig in France, the Yerevan Dialogue in Armenia, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Norway, and CPDP LatAm in Brazil. These engagements brought together perspectives from governments, civil society, academia, technical community, and the private sector to help shape the Principles.
Across the public consultation and regional dialogues, participants called for a “do no harm”, human-centred, and rights-based approach to digital transformation, one that responds to real societal needs rather than treating digitalisation as an end in itself. Inputs stressed the importance of ensuring inclusivity, including for those unable to interact digitally, and embedding transparency, accountability, and redress mechanisms throughout the DPI lifecycle.
Contributors highlighted the need for governance for public benefit, stronger data-governance and privacy safeguards, and independent oversight to build trust. They also emphasised aligning DPI with sustainable development goals, promoting interoperability that respects human rights, and investing in digital literacy and capacity-building. The regional consultations further underscored that effective DPI requires participation, co-creation, and measurable outcomes, supported by global cooperation and adaptable frameworks to ensure principles translate into practice.
The Rights-Respecting Digital Public Infrastructure Principles, along with the list of undersigned FOC Members and Observer, are available to view below and via the following link.
