Digital Trade in Africa: Implications for Inclusion and Human Rights

The response must be an updating of policymakers’ toolkits to maintain human rights. African countries will need to explore and develop alternative industrialization routes, through building the relevant skills sets and capacities to actively participate in and benefit from the digital transformation. The emergence of new technology systems, platforms, and ideas creates an opportunity for human rights to be a guiding framework for digital technology and development in Africa.

This session provided human rights based toolkits focusing on Africa which are currently developed in a joint ECA-OHCHR-FES publication which was officially launched at this event.

Speakers:

• Mr David Luke, Coordinator, African Trade Policy Centre, ECA
• Mr Torbjorn Fredriksson, Chief, ICT Policy Section, UNCTAD
• Ms Nwanneakolam Vwede‐Obahor, Regional Representative East Africa, OHCHR

Moderator:

• Mr Hajo Lanz, Director, FES Geneva office