[globalsouthdata] Lauching the report "Voices from the Global South: Perspectives on International Engagements in Digital Rights"

[Jaqueline Pigatto]

Dear all,

On the 12th of October, the Data Privacy Brasil Research Association
launched a research report about Global South's perspectives on
international engagements in digital rights
<https://www.dataprivacybr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/global-south-interviews.pdf>.
The launch took place at the 18th annual meeting of the Internet Governance
Forum (IGF), in Kyoto. Data Privacy Brasil’s researcher, Nathan
Paschoalini, presented the report during the workshop “Internet Standards
and Human Rights”.

This recent exploratory research study sheds light on the active
involvement of a carefully selected group of activists from the Global
South within international institutions focused on digital rights.
Furthermore, this study raises pertinent questions regarding the evolving
interests of these organizations for the year 2023 and beyond.

The international landscape of digital rights is characterized by
complexity and diversity, with numerous forums operating at both
multistakeholder and multilateral levels. These forums encompass policy
spaces, meetings, as well as processes, and public consultations,
reflecting the multifaceted nature of the digital agenda on the global
stage.

This comprehensive report serves as a valuable barometer of these
institutional spaces, aiming to identify the most pertinent forums and
themes for digital rights organizations from the Global South.

Based on a series of interviews with representatives of organizations from
the Global South, the report highlights the shift towards multilateral
spaces for the discussion of the digital agenda, such as the G20 and the
G7. It addresses the challenges posed by this shift in the field of
Internet Governance, which follows, traditionally, a multistakeholder
model.

However, it also points to the relevance of processes inside the UN system,
especially the IGF, which remains a key space for the planning of the
representatives' agendas, and their views on multistakeholder participation
from a Global South perspective. “The IGF is one of the few open and
multistakeholder policy spaces where, in spite of not making biding
decisions, there are no restrictions on topics and participants, that can
bring the discussions to your communities and countries”, said Jaqueline
Pigatto, one of the authors.

The study also identifies the predominance of themes related to the Digital
Public Infrastructure among the NGOs' activities. In contrast, themes such
as digital rights, digital trade, and technical standards are not as
prioritized.

Therefore, we expect this report to contribute to the strengthening of
Global South organizations and networks of activists engaged in digital
rights issues. We hope that our community keeps working on enhanced
coordination and engagement in international initiatives.

-- 

Jaqueline Pigatto

Coordenadora: Governança e Regulação

Coordinator: Governance and Regulation

+55 16 996066677

<https://www.dataprivacybr.org/>
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