A call has been extended to governments on the African continent to promote and advance a human rights-respecting approach in their cybersecurity law and policymaking since cybersecurity issues have the potential to affect peoples’ well-being, rights, and other aspects of human existence.
The request emanated from representatives of African civil society organisations through a statement issued by the Communications Officer, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Idowu Adewale.
During their meeting in Banjul, The Gambia, at a one-day session convened by the MRA at the 2022 NGO Forum held on the margins of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the 35th commemoration of the Commission currently taking place from October 20 to November 9, 2022, the groups urged African governments to play a more active role in international treaty and policy processes.
In the MRA’s statement, “The objective of the session, organised by MRA in collaboration with Global Partners Digital (GPD), based in London, was to increase awareness and engagement by African civil society actors working in the human rights sector of the United Nations cyber processes relating to responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.”
Representatives of African civil society organisations from across the continent attended the event which was facilitated by the Head of MRA’s Legal Department, Ms. Obioma Okonkwo, and Ms. Thobekile Matimbe, the Partnerships and Engagement Manager of Paradigm Initiative.
As the event lasted, the groups resolves that the African governments should play a more active role in the ongoing work of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on the security of and the use of information and communications technologies (OEWG), to ensure that African perspectives and voices are well-reflected in the outcome of the process while also protecting the interests of African countries and their citizens.
Participants equally suggested that in engaging international treaty and policy processes, African governments should build multi-stakeholder partnerships and delegations to ensure that the diverse competencies and expertise among the different stakeholder groups, which exist at the national and regional levels, are adequately harnessed to advance and protect African interests.
They further requested greater collaboration between African governments and civil society organisations to create awareness among citizens and the entire populations of African countries of cybersecurity issues, as the involvement and engagement by ordinary citizens are critical to the successful campaign for and realisation of cybersecurity.
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