Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) – Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) is a landmark event convenes a spectrum of stakeholders from across the internet governance and online rights arenas in Africa and beyond to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, free expression, non-discrimination and the free ﬂow of information online.

Currently, there are numerous developments taking place across the continent which have direct impact on how individuals and indeed states access, store and engage with digital information. Many of the decisions are likely to have a critical impact on the future of internet use in Africa thus critical discussion are imperative to shape these prospects.

The Forum offers a platform for critical engagement of diverse stakeholders in identifying the most pressing internet rights-related issues and challenges that have to be addressed at national and regional levels. It also identifies opportunities for bringing the debate on the importance of human rights online at national, regional and global fora and aims to identify effective ways to engage with them.

FIFAfrica puts internet freedom on the agenda of key actors including African policy makers, regulators, human rights defenders, law enforcement representatives, and the media, paving the way for broader work on advancing online rights in Africa and promoting the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance.

FiFAfrica Objectives

FIFAfrica has five cross-cutting objectives that support CIPESA’s mission of promoting effective and inclusive ICT policy in Africa. The objectives are as follows:

Networking and Collaboration
Promote Access To Information
Practical Skills and Knowledge Development
Showcase Advocacy Efforts
Connect Research to Policy Discussions.

Ultimately, the Forum seeks to support the development of substantive inputs to inform the conversations on human rights online happening at national and international levels. Previous editions of FIFAfrica have resulted in actionable recommendations and partnerships that have informed subsequent engagements on advancing internet freedom in Africa by several actors in the internet rights space.

As the Forum has grown, it has come to appeal to a wide diversity of actors in the digital rights arena from around the continent and globally, some of whom have over the years formed collaborations to advance digital rights and freedoms in Africa.

Reports from Previous Editions

For more information, Please Visit the FIFAfica Site.