Open Forum on the Right to Privacy in The Digital Age
Co-Organizers
Mr Lee Hibbard - Council of Europe
Mr
Hernán E. Vales -
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Description
New technologies are vulnerable to electronic surveillance and interception, which in the words of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has become “a dangerous habit rather than an exceptional measure”. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted res 68/167, which expressed deep concern at the negative impact of surveillance and interception of communications on human rights. In December 2014, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights raised concerns on inter alia the monitoring of individuals and groups with emphasis on intelligence and prevention. In March 2015, following a new UN General Assembly resolution (69/166) , the Human Rights Council created a Special rapporteur on the right to privacy. In April 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated it was “deeply worried” about the mass surveillance practices by certain intelligence agencies .
This Open Forum will discuss the following questions:
(1) What is the state of play regarding mass surveillance?;
(2) What progress has been made by governments, the private sector, and civil society?;
(3) Next steps for privacy, what are the plans fo teh UN Special Rapporteur and the Council of Europe?.
Participants
Mr
Joe Cannataci - UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy
Mr
Guenter Schirmer - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Mr
Alexandre Ghisleni - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil
Ms
Carly Nyst - Independent Human Rights Consultant, The Netherlands
Mr
Gbenga Sesan -Paradigm Initiative, Nigeria
ModeratorsMr
Lee Hibbard - Council of Europe
Mr
Hernán E. Vales- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Wrap-upMs
Lorena Jaume-Palasi - European Dialogue on Internet Governance
Remote moderatorMs
Emilar Vushe - Association for Progressive Communications
Background documentsUnited Nations General Assembly, resolution
69/166 on the right to privacy in the digital age
United Nations Human Rights Council, resolution
28/16 on the right to privacy in the digital age
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
report on the right to privacy in the digital age
PACE resolution 2045 (2015) PACE recommendation 2067 (2015)Report of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Rapporteur: Mr Pieter Omtzigt
This Open Forum is part of a cross-event collaboration with a pre-event on "Privacy in the digital age" (Nov 9, 15 hs) and with WS 114 on "Implementing Core Principles in the Digital Age" (Nov 10, 11 hs) which also look at issues of privacy and surveillance.