Events

On 22 September, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Microsoft, and Access Now hosts the live streamed event Tech for Democracy – Problems, Progress and the Copenhagen Pledge alongside the 77th UN General Assembly in New York. The event will bring together senior leaders from across geographies and stakeholder groups based on their support for the Copenhagen Pledge on Tech for Democracy, launched by the Danish government last year.

The event will feature opening remarks by Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith followed by a keynote address from the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod. Subsequent panel discussions will feature leaders from government, industry and civil society exploring how digital technology can continue to be a force for improving lives and strengthening societies around the world in an inclusive manner. The event will culminate in the debut of a new AI art exhibit demonstrating how technology can empower human creativity.

Date and time: September 22, 12:00-2:30pm.

Digital technologies hold great potential for enhancing civic engagement and promoting human rights. However, at the same time freedom on the internet is declining and civic space is shrinking – online and offline. This calls for joint action.

Together with ICNL, Google and OHCHR, Denmark is pleased to welcome you to a panel discussion on human rights in the digital age moderated by Denmark’s Tech Ambassador, Ms. Anne Marie Engtoft Larsen. The aim is to:

• to raise awareness of challenges and opportunities for the promotion and protection of human rights in the digital era in light of resolution 47/23 as human rights online must remain a prevailing priority for the Human Rights Council;
• to highlight the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in order to realize the promise of digital technologies for human rights and development and in order to ensure that everyone benefits from the economic progress and advantages new technologies can bring;
• to identify concrete opportunities for States, the private sector, civil society and other relevant stakeholder to act in a concerted manner when addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from new technologies.

The Tech for Democracy (https://techfordemocracy.dk/) affiliated Action Coalition on Responsible Technology is working to improve human rights due diligence efforts and activities in relation to development and use of digital technologies. One of the workstreams of the Action Coalition is a digital technology ecosystem mapping. The UN Guiding Principles clarifies that businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights and outlines varying approaches that reflect a business’ involvement in negative impacts. A critical first step for businesses is to understand their impacts, before then attempting to address or mitigate them. However, in the digital ecosystem it is challenging for any one business to do that without understanding the bigger picture context in which that company operates. By developing a common understanding of the digital technology ecosystem, the Action Coalition aims to provide a framework to improve understandings of digital ecosystem actors’ responsibilities and highlight possible actions, including collaborative and proactive measures, to address negative impacts.

Prior to the session, community lab participants will be able to engage with value-chain mapping materials and thinking produced by the Action Coalition, and the session will be used to take that work forward by ‘stress testing’ the draft mapping and to set the stage for further action. Community lab participants will be encouraged to offer their input on the draft materials and continue engaging with the Action Coalition beyond the session. Apart from the facilitators, a wider range of Action Coalition members representing various stakeholders will join the community lab, ensuring a rich discussion.

Host institution: BSR | Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) | Global Network Initiative (GNI)

Learn more: https://www.humanrights.dk/projects/action-coalition-responsible-technology

Please note: In order to ensure a more interactive, hands-on discussion, there is a cap of 60 participants on this community lab, which will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. The link to enter the waiting room for the session will be made available 5 minutes before the start time, and you will be notified by the technical moderator if you have been admitted. If all the seats are filled, no worries! There are plenty of other sessions and spaces in program for you to explore.

NB. The event is part of RightsCon. RightsCon is the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age. To attend the conference you need to register. Go to https://www.rightscon.org/ to check out the different options.

Denmark and KEWOPA are pleased to invite you to an ”EU Whole of Society” hybrid event on the issue of online harassment of women in politics in Kenya as a part of the Danish Tech for Democracy initiative.

The official campaign period for the elections in August 2022 will start on May 29th. It is vital that female candidates experience a level playing field. We expect that campaigning intensity will increase, also in the digital space, where it is easier for candidates to reach and engage voters. But digital technologies can also be misused to work against democracy.

Female political aspirants in Kenya are harassed through the use of technology and social media. This is a major disadvantage for female candidates and discourages women’s political participation. This calls for joint action ahead of the 9 August elections.

Click here to register for the webinar via Zoom.

Join the Discussion with the Action Coalition on Meaningful Transparency supported by GNI and the Brainbox Institute.

Earlier this year (2022), a group of civil society actors representing a range of expertise, perspectives, and experiences came together to form the Action Coalition on Meaningful Transparency (ACT). ACT aims to bring together a wide range of academics, civil society organizations, companies, governments, and international organizations to: (i) clarify relevant definitions and terminology; (ii) map existing and identify missing efforts; (iii) share lessons learned; (iv) identify opportunities for alignment and coordination; and (v) produce recommendations for companies, donors, researchers, and governments.

This panel will present on the ACT’s work to-date and gather audience input and feedback to continue to shape its work going forward.

Please register here