Jusoor's workshop addresses challenges amid a growing digital world

Jusoor International Center organized on Monday an International workshop at the United Nations Human Rights Headquarters in Geneva, in cooperation with the European Arab Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights.

The participants discussed the different aspects related to human rights in light of a growing digital world, putting future scenarios for the challenges facing the whole apparatus of human rights and its legislation amid the expanding effects of the digital world on individuals’ rights and liberties. 

The workshop, organized on the sidelines of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, included a plethora of regional and International experts in digital technology and human rights. Several human rights advocates, heads of NGOs, leading influencers and academics related to human rights causes, and other participants of the 54th session were present at Jusoor’s workshop. 

The head of the Arab-European Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights, Ayman Nasri, highlighted the importance of the workshop in promoting the values of human rights and the exceptional efforts of Jusoor International Center.

Nasri talked about Jusoor and the Arab- European forum actions to draw international attention to specific issues related to human rights, and to raise interest. Nasri added that the efforts made by Jusoor and the forum seek to mass international response to challenges facing human rights due to a growing digital world.



The head of the Jusoor International Center for Media and Development, Mohammed Al-Hammadi, stressed the importance of choosing the topic of the workshop in light of the strategy that the center is keen to pursue in addressing various human rights and awareness-raising issues that affect the regional and international human rights system, and in a way that contributes to strengthening the role and influence of the center.

The head of Juror talked about making international decisions related to human rights, and the responsibility of civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations in enhancing international and societal awareness of human rights issues in the digital world and highlighting the challenges and risks that humans face related to the practicing of their basic rights and freedoms.

Al-Hammadi said that the only way to enhance respect and promotion of human rights in the digital world is through the concerted efforts of all international parties to work on issuing a “Declaration of Digital Human Rights and Principles,” which sets the foundations and controls related to the values and principles concerned with human rights in the world. Digital.

He stressed the importance of launching this project because it represents the establishment of legal and legislative foundations that can be relied upon in regulating and framing the legal aspect of digital rights in the future, stressing the importance of the active participation of all concerned parties and non-governmental organizations.



Al-Hammadi highlighted the importance of working to adopt an accurate and agreed-upon definition to express “human rights in the digital world,” stressing the need to be guided by the definition of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in this field, which is that “they are human rights that apply in the digital field and are linked to technology.”


The head of the “Jusoor International Center for Media and Development” stressed the importance of the efforts made by international bodies, especially the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and their keenness to confirm the commitment to protecting digital rights and protecting privacy in particular, which has become one of the most prominent challenges.

Al-Hammadi pointed out the importance of the concerted efforts of international organizations and civil society institutions in strengthening and building on these efforts, especially in working to enhance the right to privacy in the digital world, protecting journalists, media professionals, and human rights activists, ensuring the right to freedom of expression in the digital world.

The Director of International Relations at StopClear Reports, Othman Nour, spoke about the importance of human rights in the digital age, especially with regard to the widespread collection of data and information by states, political parties, and major companies, and their misuse.

Nour reviewed the importance of digital technology in promoting human rights and confronting all violations in the world, highlighting the dark side of the digital revolution as it is a fundamental global human rights issue, and its clear benefits never cancel out its clear and inexorable risks. 
He stressed the importance of strengthening oversight of cyberspace and artificial intelligence, tightening the process of managing and supervising them, and the necessity of emphasizing the values of equality and justice in practicing human rights in the digital world, which was asserted by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

The lawyer and human rights activist, Paula Vodakowska, highlighted several key topics related to human rights in the digital world, focusing on the importance of achieving digital justice, the potential connection to issues that represent a real threat to human rights, such as autonomous weapons in the digital world, and reviewing several challenges, and the opportunities offered by digital justice, and exploring the different aspects of technological change within the digital justice sector.