CALL TO GOVERNMENTS AND ALL OTHER STAKEHOLDERS All African stakeholders, including regional and sub-regional bodies, national governments, civil society organisations, media institutions, and relevant technology and Internet companies, should: • • Formally endorse this Declaration, the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms; Use this Declaration to develop a deeper understanding of how existing human rights apply to the internet. • • International organisations: • National governments in Africa, as principal dutybearers, must respect, protect and guarantee the rights outlined in this Declaration, including by: • • • • Ratifying and giving effect to all relevant international and regional human rights treaties on human rights related to protection of human rights on the Internet, through incorporation to their domestic legislation or otherwise; Adopting clear legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks for the protection of these rights, in full compliance with international standards and best practice, and with the full and effective participation of civil society and other concerned stakeholders at all stages of their development; Providing sufficient safeguards against the violation of these rights and ensure that effective remedies for their violations are available; Ensuring that national regulators in the telecommunications and Internet sectors are well-resourced, transparent and independent in their operations. • • • • • • The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights should establish a mechanism to promote and monitor Internet rights and freedoms in Africa. The African Union should take the lead in creating a common African Programme of Action on Internet Governance, which will ensure that the rights of Africans on the Internet are promoted and upheld, and that African concerns are recognised in the global Internet governance regime. UNESCO should integrate the Declaration into its “Priority Africa” strategies. UNESCO should promote the advancement of social and cultural rights on the Internet as well as the use of local languages and local content online. UNESCO should also develop model laws protecting online freedom of expression and privacy. The International Telecommunication Union should recognise and promote the Access and Affordability principle of this Declaration. Civil society should: Pan-African and African regional organisations and institutions: • Other relevant pan-African institutions should develop programmes to support national institutions (including national human rights commissions and the judiciary) to understand and protect human rights online. The African Telecommunications Union should recognise and promote the access and affordability principle of this Declaration. Seek to increase public awareness of the importance of the Internet in the realisation of human rights; Advocate for Internet rights and freedoms; monitor Internet laws and regulations; and highlight abuses, including in their reports to regional and international treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms; Communicate with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa on measures to uphold freedom of expression in relation to the Internet; Encourage and monitor the participation of women and girls in all areas related to Internet development and governance. Media organisations should: • • Popularise this Declaration and the principles outlined in it; Improve their own understanding of Internet issues and foster awareness about the importance of the Internet to all sectors of society, particularly among marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities.