Human Rights in the Digital Age: Balancing AI, Technology, and Governance in Smart Cities

2024 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform
Tuesday 5 November 2024, 09:15-15:00
Pétale 5, Room c1, Maison de la Paix, Geneva

(Originally published on the Geneva Academy website)

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As digital technologies and AI increasingly shape the infrastructure and governance of urban settings and impact people’s lives in cities, safeguarding human rights becomes a central challenge. Without proper regulation, the widespread use of AI and other technologies risks infringing on fundamental rights and exacerbating inequality and discrimination.
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Ensuring Human Rights in Emerging Technologies Through ICT Standards

Standards and Human Rights

Date: October 21, 2024
Location: Room C1, WTSA-24, New Delhi, India

On October 21, 2024, the ITU hosted a compelling side event at WTSA-24 in New Delhi to address a vital question in today’s digital landscape: How can ICT standards ensure that human rights are upheld as new and emerging technologies develop? Co-organized by the ITU alongside the European Commission, Czech Republic, France, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), this event gathered experts across governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations.
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Les droits humains dans les normes numériques : Le rôle et les défis de l’UIT vus de l’intérieur

Depuis sa création il y a plus de 160 ans, l’UIT a été à l’avant-garde des normes de télécommunications, du télégraphe à l’infrastructure numérique moderne. Olivier examine les défis que représente la promotion de la protection des données, de la vie privée et de la non-discrimination au sein d’une organisation multilatérale hautement technique. En s’appuyant sur les différentes perspectives des 193 États membres, il met en lumière l’équilibre diplomatique nécessaire pour garantir que les valeurs universelles, telles que les droits de l’homme, trouvent leur place dans le paysage évolutif des normes TIC.

Human Rights & ICT Standardisation

Webinar on Human Rights and ICT Standardisation

(Originally published on the hsbooster website)

On Thursday 6th June 2024 (15:30 – 17:30 CEST) the CSA European Commission funded project StandICT.eu 2026, in collaboration with the HSBooster.eu project, discussed amongst experts working on human rights and standards, the issue of how to ensure Human Rights are considered and dealt with when addressing technical specifications in ICT standardisation.

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Enhancing CSO participation in global digital policy processes: Roles, structures, and accountability

Panel Discussion at WSIS+20

(Originally published on the ITU website)

Join us for an insightful session on how the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is working to boost CSO participation in global policy processes, including those all-important standard-setting ones. We’ll dive into the evolving roles of CSOs, necessary structural changes, accountability mechanisms, joint GS-GN advocacy, and more. Our goal? To develop clear strategies for more inclusive and effective CSO contributions, especially from stakeholders in the Global South (GS).

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Trust in Tech: Navigating Emerging Technologies and Human Rights in a Connected World

Panel discussion at WSIS+20

(Originally published on the ITU website)

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, emerging technologies are shaping our world in profound ways, offering immense opportunities for progress, but also presenting complex challenges. Moreover, technical standards play a foundational role in ensuring the interoperability, compatibility, and security of emerging technologies. As we embrace innovations such as artificial intelligence, it becomes increasingly crucial to ensure that these advancements uphold human rights and foster trust among users.

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Shaping a Sustainable Future: The Role of Standards and Policy in Ethical AI Development

Zoom screenshot

(Originally published on Youtube)

Join us on an exploration of the pivotal role of standards and policy in guiding AI and human-machine teaming toward a sustainable and dignified future. Our esteemed speakers will shed light on how adherence to these frameworks mitigates technology misuse, safeguarding human rights, and nurturing compassion. Gain invaluable insights into how AI can drive positive change, fostering inclusivity and upholding human and planetary flourishing. Together we can shape a future where ethical AI development leads the way to a more sustainable, prosperous society.

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IA : qui pour la réglementer ?

Sur la scène principale du FIFDH 2024 à Genève

(Publié à l’origine sur le site web du FIFDH)

En monétisant nos données, les géants BigTech ont engendré une immense concentration de pouvoir économique et financier. Aujourd’hui, un scénario identique mais aux conséquences plus vertigineuses encore se dessine : l’intelligence artificielle générative.

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Telecommunication Standardization Bureau activities about Human Rights and Standards

TD presentation during the TSAG plenary

(Originally published on the ITU website)

Embedding human rights in digital technologies is currently one of the United Nations’ priorities. On February 24, 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, explained the importance of taking human rights into account in technical standards at a high-level meeting at the World Standards Cooperation (WSC). This was reported to the last TSAG meeting (TD213).

ITU Council discussed this subject as well in its July 2023 meeting (see C74 and C49). In recent months, the Human Rights Council has updated two resolutions on human rights applied to digital technologies. Resolution (A/HRC/RES/53/29) “New and emerging digital technologies and human rights”, updated on July 14, 2023, and resolution (A/HRC/54/L.12) “The right to privacy in the digital age”, updated on October 6, 2023.

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The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology

The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology

(Originally published on the ITU website)

To celebrated the Human Rights Day, annually on 10 December, we invited the leading experts within the field of human rights in cyberspace during our Episode 39: “The Interplay Between Human Rights and Technology” and explored the complex relationship between human rights and the digital realm.

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