Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African digital rights organisation, is stepping up calls for stronger protection of human rights online as African policymakers and human rights institutions gather in Senegal for a key regional meeting.

The organisation is participating in the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), taking place at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar from 12 to 21 October.

PIN says it will use the session to draw attention to growing concerns about digital rights and internet freedom across Africa, including the slow development of artificial intelligence (AI) policies, restrictions on media freedom and violations of children’s rights online.

Its advocacy will draw on ongoing monitoring of digital rights violations and findings from its Londa report, which examines the state of digital rights and freedoms across the continent.

Representing PIN at the session are Bridgette Ndlovu, Partnerships and Engagements Officer, and Moussa Waly Sene, Programmes Officer for Francophone Africa. The organisation will make a statement during discussions on the human rights situation in Africa, highlighting issues it believes require greater attention from governments and regional institutions.

As internet access and digital technologies become increasingly important to everyday life, concerns about how they are governed and used are growing.

AI systems are developing rapidly, raising questions about accountability, privacy, discrimination and the protection of fundamental rights. PIN is concerned about the slow pace of AI policy development in Africa and the need for frameworks that protect people as the technology expands.

Media freedom is another priority. The organisation intends to draw attention to threats to the free flow of information, the importance of protecting journalists, and the need to ensure that people can access reliable information.

Children’s rights online will also feature in its advocacy, with a focus on making digital spaces safer while ensuring that young people can benefit from the opportunities technology offers.

Through its engagement with the African Commission, PIN aims to encourage stronger action by governments and human rights institutions to protect fundamental freedoms in both digital and physical spaces.

Events to focus on elections, inclusion and disinformation

Beyond its formal engagement with the Commission, PIN will host a series of activities in Dakar with partners, bringing together human rights institutions, journalists and other stakeholders to examine emerging digital rights challenges.

On 13 October, PIN and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) will convene a session on digital rights and internet freedom, focusing on the role of national human rights institutions in monitoring elections.

The discussion will draw on PIN’s Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Monitor Toolkit (DREAMT), which is designed to support efforts to monitor digital rights during elections.

The session will also feature The Signal, a short film on digital accessibility and inclusion, followed by discussions on how to make digital spaces more accessible to people across Africa.

On 14 October, PIN will organise a Digital Rights Academy for journalists and media practitioners. The training will focus on information integrity, equipping participants to better understand the challenges surrounding the accuracy, credibility and responsible sharing of information.

The programme will continue on 15 October with a session on information integrity based on PIN’s research project, Africa Facing Down Disinformation.

The session will present research findings on information disorders in Senegal and outline recommendations to address disinformation and strengthen the information environment.

The activities reflect PIN’s wider efforts to connect digital rights advocacy with practical action, including election monitoring, media development and the promotion of inclusive digital spaces.