The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, recently announced the launch of a new long-term project that will explore the responsibilities of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to protect and promote the freedom of opinion and expression.
The announcement was accompanied by a call for submissions to assist the Special Rapporteur map the relevant actors, issues of concern and the relevant existing principles/frameworks.
The Special Rapporteur's mapping report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2016.
IHRB is pleased to share its work and experience of the ICT sector in order to contribute to this first stage of mapping, including “issue-spotting” and identifying national examples that the project should take into account. This IHRB submission focuses on:
- Mobile and Internet network shutdowns and blocking of applications/services, drawing on our Digital Dangers case study which focused on the issue in Pakistan.
- The growing ICT sector in Myanmar and associated risks to freedom of expression, drawing on the ICT Sector Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) IHRB produced with one of our regional centres, the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB).
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Commentary by Scott Jerbi, Senior Advisor, Policy & Outreach, IHRB