In a bid to prevent persons from being affected by cyber security issues, African heads of government have been urged to initiate a human rights-friendly laws in cyber security and policy-making.

The heads of government were also urged to play a more active role in international treaty and policy processes.

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The call was made at a one-day session convened by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) at the 2022 NGO Forum held on the margins of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the 35th commemoration of the Commission currently taking place from October 20 to November 9, 2022, in Banjul, The Gambia.

In a press release signed by the MRA Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale, the aim of the session was to increase awareness and engagement by African civil society actors working in the human rights sector of the United Nations (UN) cyber processes relating to responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

At the end of the session, members “called on African governments to play a more active role in the ongoing work of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the security and in the use of information and communications technologies to ensure that African perspectives and voices are well-reflected in the outcome of the process while also protecting the interests of African countries and their citizens.”

While engaging international treaty and policy processes, governments should build “multi-stakeholder partnerships and delegations to ensure that the diverse competencies and expertise among the different stakeholder groups, which exist at the national and regional levels, are adequately harnessed to advance and protect African interests.”

They also recommend that there should be greater collaboration between heads of government and CSOs “to create awareness among citizens and the entire populations of African countries of cybersecurity issues as the involvement and engagement by ordinary citizens are critical to the successful campaign for the realization of cybersecurity.”

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