IGF 2017 WS #69 A Net of Rights: Human Rights Impact Assessments for the Future of the Internet

Length of session: 60 minutes

• Introductions. The moderator will open the session by presenting the nexus of topics for discussion: what human rights impact assessments (HRIAs) are, their potential as a tool to develop human rights considerations among infrastructure providers and technical communities, and the role that civil society can play in this field. The moderator will then introduce the panelists. (5 minutes)
• Case studies. The moderator will direct discussion among panelists to explore two specific applications of HRIAs, based on two different types of actors: Internet infrastructure providers and Internet technical communities. (20 minutes)
  • Mr. Maarten Simon and Ms. Cathrine Bloch Veiberg will discuss the ongoing HRIA project that is being implemented by the Dutch Internet registry Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (SIDN), in partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) and ARTICLE 19. 
  • UNSR David Kaye and Dr. Alissa Cooper will discuss the potential applications of HRIAs in Internet technical standards and policy development in bodies such as the IETF.
• Moderated discussion. The moderator will then bring all panelists together to discuss the broader implications of the development and implementation of HRIAs across the ICT sector, including some of the challenges facing developers and implementers and the potential for multistakeholder approaches to this work. (10 minutes)
• Q&A session. The discussion will then open to questions from the audience. (20 minutes)
• Conclusions. The moderator will provide some final remarks and close the session. (5 minutes)