Digital Human Rights Agenda at the 63rd UN Human Rights Council Session

• The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC63) is taking place from September 7 to October 9, 2026, focusing on advancing human rights in digital contexts.
• The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is advocating for holistic, intersectional, and feminist approaches to digital rights protection.

Protecting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)

• The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will present a report on protecting HRDs in the digital age, addressing risks like connectivity disruptions and targeted abuse.
• APC highlights that digital tools—while vital—are increasingly used for surveillance, disinformation, and censorship to silence dissent.
• Research from Myanmar and other regions shows that environmental and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) face amplified digital violence, which is an extension of offline repression.

AI, Cultural Rights, and Development

• The Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMRTD) is presenting a study on AI, cultural rights, and development.
• APC and partners are advocating for human rights due diligence, corporate accountability, and the meaningful participation of civil society in AI governance.
• They call for moratoriums on AI and infrastructure deployments that fail to meet human rights standards.

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)

• The HRC Advisory Committee is presenting a study on TFGBV, categorizing it as a pervasive threat that exacerbates existing gender inequalities.
• The report and APC’s submission emphasize the need for a survivor-centered framework that moves beyond current gaps in cybercrime legislation.
• APC demands enforceable industry regulations focused on safety-by-design to combat AI-amplified hate speech and image-based abuse.

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Updates

• APC is monitoring UPR processes for Namibia and Paraguay, raising concerns about digital inclusion, privacy, and the weaponization of legislation.
• Namibia: APC supports calls for protecting digital activism and freedom of the press.
• Paraguay: APC urges the government to align national laws with human rights standards, specifically addressing the misuse of anti-NGO legislation to restrict civic space and silence journalists.