Promoting Effective and Inclusive ICT Policy in Africa

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  HomeCollaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)  /  Internet Freedom
17Dec

Job Opportunity: CIPESA Seeks a Communications Officer

Author CIPESA Posted on
Call for Applications |

Job title:                                               Communications Officer

Deadline for applications:                 January 10, 2025

Location:                                              Can be Remote, or based at CIPESA office in Kampala, Uganda

Duration:                                             Two (2) Years

About CIPESA

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) works to defend and expand the digital civic space to enable the protection and promotion of human rights and to enhance innovation and sustainable development. With a focus on disparate actors, including the private sector, civil society, media, policymakers, and multinational institutions, our work aims to engender a free, open, and secure internet that advances rights, livelihoods, and democratic governance. CIPESA’s work responds to a shortage of information, research, resources, and actors consistently working at the nexus of technology, human rights, and society.

CIPESA is seeking a Communications Officer to help increase the visibility of our work in defending and expanding the digital civic space.

Job Summary:

This is an opportunity to work with CIPESA’s expanding team and network of collaborators, including the private sector, civil society, media, academia, policymakers, and multinational institutions. The Communications Officer will work collaboratively with the CIPESA team to create, implement, and oversee internal and external communications programmes that effectively engender a free, open, and secure internet that advances rights, livelihoods, and democratic governance.

Key Areas of Accountability Include:
  • Implement the CIPESA Communications Strategy, so as to increase brand awareness and recognition and to reach out to external stakeholders and respond to the needs of targeted audiences.
  • Document and communicate CIPESA’s work through powerful storytelling using various tools and platforms.
  • Manage communication tools to ensure that CIPESA partners and collaborators are kept informed and engaged and messages effectively and consistently describe CIPESA and its goals and activities.
  • Monitor and evaluate communication and advocacy activities.
  • Manage the production of CIPESA publications, including research reports, impact reports, policy briefs, annual reports and newsletters.
  • Work with CIPESA staff to draft, edit and refine press releases, talking points, blog posts, speeches, grant applications and other external communications.
  • Engage staff and key stakeholders in promoting CIPESA’s mission. This includes establishing rapport with them and ensuring visibility.
  • Oversee and grow the content of CIPESA’s website and other digital and social media resources.
  • Liaise with various media houses and content publishers for publicity and promotion as required.
  • Media monitoring and outreach to mainstream and technology-focused media.
  • Manage the communications related logistics and support for CIPESA events.
  • Oversee the maintenance of CIPESA’s contact database, events and publications calendar, and other communication tools.
  • Curate thematic news content for CIPESA’s platforms including reporting on the latest trends and developments in technology in the region.
  • Conducting other tasks as appropriate to support CIPESA’s mission.  
Qualifications and Experience:

This position is applicable to people with at least five years of relevant experience. An ideal candidate would demonstrate the following:

  • Undergraduate degree and/or equivalent experience in communications, public affairs, advocacy or journalism; and a demonstrated interest/knowledge related to one or more of these fields: human rights law or policy, technology policy, digital rights, social or development studies. Postgraduate qualifications are a distinct advantage.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills — including strong writing and editing skills for different platforms (social media, blogs, campaign tool kits)  and varied external audiences.
  • Experience working with journalists or in the media.
  • Proficiency in creatively using  digital and social media, including multimedia content development and storytelling.
  • Confidence/experience in multi-stakeholder environments and differing cultural settings, and in working with diverse constituencies.
  • Exceptional project and time management, planning and organisational skills, resourcefulness and attention to detail.
  • Fluency in English is required, and proficiency in another language is an advantage.
  • Familiarity with Content Management Systems and creative software suites are an advantage.

Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with experience. CIPESA provides a benefits package that includes health care, provident fund, statutory pension and paid leave.

Standards of Professional Conduct: CIPESA staff and partners must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the Code of Conduct, and the Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) Policy. In accordance with these, CIPESA operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, and several others.

To Apply: Please send your interest including a cover letter detailing why you think your skill set would be ideal for this position, along with a CV, the names and contact details of two referees and 2-3 writing/content samples in one PDF file to [email protected] with Application for Communications Officer in the email subject line.

03Dec

The AU Disability Protocol Comes Into Force: Implications for Digital Rights for Persons with Disabilities in Africa

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Paul Kimumwe & Michael Aboneka |

On this International Day for Persons with Disabilities, CIPESA reflects on the impact of the African Union (AU) Disability Protocol and its Implication on digital rights for persons with disabilities in Africa and calls upon the African Commission to establish a Special Mandate to enhance the respect for and protection of the rights for persons with disabilities in Africa

Six years after its adoption, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa came into force in May 2024 after securing the mandatory 15th ratification by the Republic of Congo. The other 14 African Union member states that have ratified the Protocol are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and Uganda. 

For disability rights activists, this was a defining moment as the protocol augments the rights of persons with disabilities to barrier-free access to the physical environment, transportation, information, and other communication technologies and systems. Specifically, under articles 23 and 24 of the protocol, States Parties should take “effective and appropriate measures” to facilitate the full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of the right to freedom of expression and opinion and access to information, including through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has been a longstanding advocate for African governments to urgently ratify the protocol. However, CIPESA has also stated, including in submissions to the Africa Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), that ratifying the protocol would be a major but insufficient step in ensuring that persons with disabilities access and use digital technologies and that there is sufficient disaggregated data to inform programme interventions.

Indeed, article 24(2) requires States Parties to put in place policy, legislative, administrative, and other measures to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the right to freedom of expression and access to information on an equal basis, including:

  1. Providing information intended for the general public as well as information required for official interactions with persons with disabilities in accessible formats and technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities in a timely manner and without additional cost to persons with disabilities. 
  2. Requiring private entities that provide services to the general public, including through the internet, to provide information and services in accessible and usable formats for persons with disabilities. 
  3. Recognising and promoting the use of sign language. 
  4. Ensuring that persons with visual impairments or with other print disabilities have effective access to published works, including by using information and communication technologies.

The protocol adds to the available digital rights advocacy tools for disability rights actors, including the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which places significant obligations on States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal and meaningful access to ICT, including the internet. 

The CRPD was the first international human rights treaty requiring the accessibility of digital tools as a prerequisite for persons with disabilities to fully enjoy their fundamental rights without discrimination. It highlights the inherent risks of exclusion of persons with disabilities from participating equally in society by defining ICT accessibility as integral to general accessibility rights and on par with access to the physical environment and transportation.

While there has been some progress in the enactment of disability rights-respecting and ICT-enabling laws for persons with disabilities in Africa, implementation is a challenge. Moreover, the Protocol comes into force when the digital divide and exclusion of persons with disabilities has worsened despite the exponential growth and penetration of digital technologies on the continent. Persons with disabilities have consistently remained disproportionately excluded from the digital society due to factors such as low levels of ICT skills, high illiteracy levels, and high cost of assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnification software, text readers, and speech input software.

It is against this background that CIPESA adds its voice to other calls to the African Commission to expedite the establishment of a special mandate at the level of Special Rapporteur for Persons with Disabilities. This elevated position will ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa are mainstreamed and upheld.

CIPESA recognises that as a regional human rights instrument, the protocol empowers disability rights actors to demand the enactment and full implementation of policies and laws that promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including in accessing and using digital technologies.

For example, disability rights actors, including civil society, activists, and Disability Rights Organisations (DPOs), should develop mechanisms to monitor the status of implementation of the protocol, including ensuring that the states parties submit their statutory reports as required by Article 34 of the protocol. The DPOs should also actively participate in developing shadow reports on the status of implementation of the protocol, especially on access to information and participation in public affairs.

In addition, disability rights organisations should work with policymakers and the executive to ensure that more countries ratify the protocol and domesticate it through national policies, laws, and practices. Both the protocol and the CRPD should become a reference point during any discussions of draft laws and policies that affect persons with disabilities.

For the media, it is important that, through their reporting, they hold governments accountable for failure to ratify or to fully implement the provisions of the protocol.

Member countries can also demand for accountability of their peers on the status of implementation of the key provisions of the protocol through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

Please read more about CIPESA submissions on policy actions governments should take after ratifying the protocol. See also The Disability and ICT Accessibility Framework for Monitoring the Implementation of ICT Accessibility Laws and Policies in Africa.

28Nov

African Commission Resolution to Bolster Data Governance

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Edrine Wanyama |

The Resolution adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) during its 81st Ordinary Session held from October 17 to November 6, 2024 in Banjul, The Gambia potentially bolsters data protection and governance on the African continent.

The Resolution calls upon states parties to take all relevant measures to ensure transparent and accountable collection, processing, storage and access to data. It also underscores the importance of ethical principles in data usage, equitable access to data, and addressing biases to prevent structural inequalities while safeguarding privacy and combating discrimination.​

The resolution acknowledges the rapid advancement of technology and the increased dependence on data in governance and socio-economic development, and is in line with the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, African Union’s Data Policy Framework, and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030).

Similarly, this timely resolution aligns closely with the vision of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), which calls for inclusive, rights-based governance of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), and the ACHPR’s Resolution 473 on the need to undertake a study on human and peoples’ rights and AI, robotics and other new and emerging technologies. These frameworks emphasise the potential of data and digital technologies while cautioning against risks such as bias, inequities, unwarranted surveillance, and privacy violations.

By embedding human rights principles in digital governance, both the ACHPR’s Resolution 473 and the GDC advocate for responsibly leveraging digital tools to reduce inequalities and protect vulnerable populations. The ACHPR’s focus on equitable data access and capacity-building within African states resonates with the GDC’s call for global collaboration to address disparities in digital infrastructure and skills. Together, these initiatives present a unified agenda to ensure that digital technologies and AI are harnessed for equity, justice, and sustainable development that foster a shared vision for a more inclusive digital age.

The ACHPR Resolution further urges state parties to ensure open access to data which is in possession of public and private in public interest, in accordance with the prescribed regional and international human rights standards.

The Resolution reinforces the African Union’s Data Policy Framework which, among others, seeks to maximise the benefits of the data-driven economy for African countries. With common anticipated benefits, data governance systems will be harmonised to enable secure and free data flow on the continent which potentially contributes to a people-centred approach which is not inward-looking for individuals, institutions and businesses and, enhances data utility for accelerated attainment of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

There is increasing recognition of the need for data governance frameworks that create a safe and trustworthy digital environment, foster intra-Africa digital trade, enable states’ cooperation on data governance, enable domestication of continental policies, and ensure free and secure data flows across the continent. As such, the  Resolution also calls for the establishment of collaborative mechanisms, coordinating data issues, enabling and facilitating competitiveness in the global economy, promoting sustainable data use and benefits to society, as well as facilitating innovative ways to promote and maximise benefits of data for the African peoples.

Besides, the Resolution will potentially grow the impetus of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to adopt harmonised data governance systems, which will quicken continental initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement whose growth and benefits depend on secure and free cross-border data flows. For instance, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are set to develop regional data governance policy frameworks with the aim of harmonising data governance in the region for economic growth and regional integration.

The Resolution echoes sentiments shared in various panels at the September Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2024 (#FIFAfrica), which highlighted contemporary issues in data governance in Africa, including in collection, management, and processing of data. The Forum emphasised the role of national and regional actors in policy harmonisation, enabling greater cross-border data flows, maximising the benefits of data for all countries and all citizens, and the need for greater privacy protections over personal data. Among others, speakers at FIFAfrica singled out  national parliaments, RECs, civil society organisations, the African Union, and the private sector as having pivotal roles to play in promoting effective data governance.

11Nov

Civil Society Statement on Kenya’s Telegram Shutdown

Author CIPESA Posted on

Statement |

As civil society organizations and stakeholders in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector committed to Digital Rights and Internet Freedom, we are deeply concerned about the Kenyan government’s recent decision to block access to the Telegram social media platform. 

According to an unverified letter circulating online from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to service providers (Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom Kenya and Jamii Telecommunications) on 31 October 2024, the operators were required to “use all available mechanisms to suspend the operation of Telegram Inc in the country”.  The suspension was ordered to prevent cheating during the national examinations period on weekdays until 22nd November 2024.  Moreover, the ongoing internet disruption has been confirmed by web connectivity tests from OONI and Netblocks, as well as independent tests by Tatua. 

Internet disruptions like these undermine fundamental human rights and freedoms outlined in the International Bill of Rights to which the Kenyan government is a party and the Kenyan Constitution. Likewise, they disrupt economic activity and weaken democratic values by limiting the rights to Access to Information and Freedom of Expression, Assembly and Association.

This action also goes against the principles outlined in the Global Digital Compact (GDC), which emphasizes the importance of a universal, open, and secure internet. The GDC, part of the commitments that governments endorsed in the Pact of the Future, discourages internet shutdowns, noting their harmful impact on human rights, democracy, and economic growth, and calls for transparent and accountable solutions to address issues in the digital space. At a time when global standards are pushing for universal, secure, and open internet access, national policies must align with these principles rather than undermine them.

Kenya’s commitment to internet freedom appears to be on a worrying downward trend. We note with concern that there was an internet disruption on 25 June, less than 6 months ago, during the protests against the Finance Bill, 2024. A similar blocking of the Telegram App was implemented in November 2023. Such repeated actions not only curtail rights but also erode public trust in digital governance.

While we recognize the importance of maintaining exam integrity, we urge the Kenyan government to explore alternative, lawful and rights-respecting measures to tackle this issue. Instead of blocking the application or disrupting the internet, authorities are encouraged to pursue criminals who breach confidential examination documents and seal loopholes in examination processes. Such alternative actions to tackle this issue can be explored through multi-stakeholder consultations ensuring that they are human rights-respecting. Disrupting the internet or blocking social media access as in this case goes against the three-part test under international human rights law of legality, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality. A stable, secure and accessible internet should remain a priority, especially given its critical role in supporting the digital economy, education, livelihoods, and civic engagement.

We call on Kenyan authorities and the CA in particular, to immediately retract the letter to service providers, and for service providers to restore access to Telegram and commit to upholding digital rights and internet freedom. We also urge policymakers to consult civil society and other key stakeholders to develop sustainable, rights-based strategies to address digital governance challenges without resorting to internet disruptions. 

Endorsed on November 9, 2024 by:

Afia-Amani Grands-Lacs

African Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA)

Africa Media and Information Technology Initiative (AfriMITI)

Afrika Youth Movement

Article 19 East Africa

Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE)

Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative

Centre for Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Governance in Africa (CAIEGA)

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH)

Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

Collaborative for Peace

Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO-Ethiopia)

FactCheck Africa

Gonline Africa

Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria

Impact Foundation For Youths Development

Internet Without Borders

Internet Society Kenya Chapter

KICTANet

Kijiji Yeetu

Media Rights Agenda (MRA)

Paradigm Initiative (PIN)

Roots Africa Inc.

Tech & Media Convergency (TMC)

The Internet Governance Tanzania Working Group (IGTWG)

Tribeless Youth (TY)

VANGUARD PRESS BOARD UDUS

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

West African Digital Rights Defenders Coalition

The SaferNet Initiative

This article was first published by KICTANET on November 09, 2024.

11Nov

Fostering Responsible Business Conduct in Uganda’s Digital Age

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Patricia Ainembabazi |

The sixth edition of the Business and Human Rights Symposium in Uganda marked an essential step in Uganda’s journey to foster responsible and rights-respecting business conduct. Hosted on November 4-5, 2024, the symposium brought together over 200 participants from government, the private sector, academia, and civil society. It offered a platform to reflect on Uganda’s advancements in implementing its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and to consider newer frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

As part of the two-day proceedings, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) hosted a panel discussion on the interplay between digital innovation and the protection of human rights, highlighting both successes and challenges in Uganda’s tech ecosystem. The panel discussed the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and how they align with the technology sector.

Source: Business for Social Responsibility  

Highlighting Uganda’s growing technology sector, including increased mobile and internet penetration as well as digitalisation of private and public services, the session also spotlighted pressing concerns, such as internet disruptions, labour rights violations, gender discrimination, and data protection and privacy, which continue to challenge human rights protections in the country’s growing digital economy.

Joel Basoga, Head of Technology Practice at H&G Advocates, stated that ​​it was “essential” for businesses in Uganda to embed respect for human rights as a core performance indicator guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. He added that for a tech-driven business landscape, legal frameworks surrounding digital rights need to be prioritised.

According to Patricia Ainembabazi, a Project Officer at CIPESA, there was limited understanding of business and human rights in the technology sector. Platforms such as the symposium were crucial in building a thematic understanding of digital rights. 

In 2021, Uganda became the first African country to finalise a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR), based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The plan strengthens the government’s duty to protect human rights, enhances the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and ensures access to remedies for victims of human rights violations and abuses resulting from non-compliance by business entities.

In October 2024, CIPESA joined the first meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Technical Committee on Business and Human Rights, which supports the Uganda labour ministry’s role of coordinating the National Action Plan and provides technical guidance on all business and human rights interventions. At that meeting, CIPESA made the case for mainstreaming digital rights in the implementation of the action plan and also urged stakeholders to leverage innovative technologies to improve the outcomes of the action plan.

Similar to other countries in Africa, Uganda’s plan does not provide for digital rights protection, yet digital technologies have become central not only to how many businesses operate, but also to how individuals learn, work, socialise, and participate in community affairs. This increased digitalisation has had an impact on the ability of businesses to respect their human rights obligations.

Objectives of Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
1. To strengthen institutional capacity, operations and coordination efforts of state and non-state actors for the protection and promotion of human rights in businesses;  
2. To promote human rights compliance and accountability by business actors;  
3. To promote social inclusion and rights of the vulnerable and marginalised individuals and groups in business operations;  
4. To promote meaningful and effective participation and respect for consent by relevant stakeholders in business operations; and  
5. To enhance access to remedy to victims of business-related human rights abuses and violations in business operations.

Speakers urged for increased cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders to align national frameworks more closely with the UN Guiding Principles. Opportunities for intervention include a push for robust data protection and privacy protections by the private sector; affordability of the internet and related technologies to ensure access to digital spaces; and raising awareness on digital rights roles and responsibilities for consumers and business owners. The symposium called upon stakeholders such as telecommunication companies, Internet Service Providers (ISP), financial institutions, innovators, and online platform operators to harmonise business goals with digital rights principles.

As part of the implementation of the NAPBHR, CIPESA is part of the newly launched Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda project led by Enabel and Uganda’s Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development. The project is part of the European Union’s support towards the implementation of Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and focuses on three thematic areas: labour rights in the agricultural sector, natural resource governance and land, and digital rights and internet governance. The project will work with six civil society organisations to drive advocacy, dialogue, and actions that strengthen Uganda’s Business and Human Rights agenda. Additionally, 50 businesses will receive support to implement human rights due diligence aligned with national and international standards.

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