By Damilola Abiola
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) officially launched their joint initiative today under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), aiming to develop a comprehensive set of global principles to protect human rights in the digital space.
The launch event, held at the Nobel Peace Center and hosted by the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, brought together legal experts and human rights advocates from around the world to address growing concerns about how fundamental rights are upheld in an increasingly digital world.
“This project is not about creating new laws,” said Mikiko Otani, Chairperson of the Principles’ Experts Group and ICJ Commissioner. “It is about clarifying how existing international laws and standards should be interpreted, applied, and enforced in the digital environment — in a spirit of progressive development.”
With an 18-member expert group drawn from diverse backgrounds and regions, the initiative will craft legal principles and guidelines that address a wide array of digital human rights challenges, including State responsibilities, private sector accountability, legal remedies, and the right to protection from abuses occurring in digital spaces.
Otani emphasized the importance of inclusion and legitimacy in the drafting process: “For these principles to be effective and influential, three elements are essential: a diverse expert group, broad stakeholder involvement, and strong promotion and endorsement across national and international bodies.”
Among the expert group members are representatives from global organizations such as Access Now, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Media Rights Agenda, the South African Human Rights Commission, and the Australian Human Rights Commission, reflecting a rich range of perspectives and areas of expertise.
The process will include regional consultations to ensure the principles reflect diverse digital realities and challenges across different parts of the world. The final set of principles is expected to be completed by 2026 and will serve as a reference for governments, lawmakers, human rights institutions, and civil society actors working to safeguard rights in the digital era.
With this ambitious initiative, the ICJ and DIHR aim to ensure that the evolution of technology does not outpace the protection of human dignity, freedom, and justice online.