Council of Europe at the Internet Governance Forum 2024
15-19 December 
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The internet provides a space of freedom, facilitating the exercise and enjoyment of fundamental rights, participatory and democratic processes, and social and commercial activities.
To ensure a sustainable, people-centred and rights-based approach to the internet, the Council of Europe has engaged in setting and promoting standards, building partnerships and fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue, including regular participation in the Internet Government Forum (IGF).
15 December
9:30-10:30, Room 6 (hybrid)
Day-0 Event: The 1st international treaty on AI and Human Rights
The Session will present the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, and its global significance as the world’s first legally binding instrument on AI.
The session will then be dedicated to an open discussion between the panellists, who represented their governments in the CAI during the elaboration and negotiation of the treaty.
Moderator: Thomas SCHNEIDER - Vice-Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the and Head of Delegation of Switzerland.
17:30-18:00 Lightning Talk Area
Day-0 Event: Achieving Consensus: Definitions on Privacy and Data
The session will commence with a short introduction to the Council of Europe's key definitions and standards (through Convention 108+ and others) and how the organisation works with member States, the Convention's additional States Parties and other key stakeholders to maintain or, if required, changes them. In particular, as the Council of Europe's standards spread beyond the borders of its member States to the Southern Mediterranean region, this highlights the need for agreement on the various definitions to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation to ensure data and privacy are protected adequately, without restricting and indeed enabling the international flow of data. This in turn would enhance the protection of human rights on the internet, allowing for a an open, transparent, and inclusive internet, with personal data handled safely.
It is of the utmost importance that the main concepts and definitions regarding privacy and data protection are commonly understood among internet governance community. A lightning session could be a great opportunity to discuss some of the definitions that are defined in Council of Europe instruments and used by several countries already, and whether they are commonly understood the same way in an internet governance setting. How do the various jurisdictions and stakeholders define who is a data subject on the internet or who is a data controller and processor? This can have significant impact on public policy. The discussion around WHOIS data showed how difficult it could be to have a common understanding across all jurisdiction and stakeholders. These definitions can open up other field for discussion such as forced data localisation, data security and access rights in a cloud-based service, just to name a few.
Speaker: Héla Ben Miled Bey, Magistrate in the Tunisian Administrative Court of Justice, former Commissioner for the Tunisian Data Protection Authority
Moderator: Moritz Taylor, Senior Project Manager at the Data Protection Unit of the Council of Europe
16 December
17:00-18:00, Room 10 (hybrid)
Networking Session: Risk & impact assessment of AI on human rights, democracy and the rule of law
The Session will bring together various stakeholders having participated in the elaboration of the Council of Europe Methodology for the Risk and Impact Assessment of AI Systems on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law (HUDERIA). The HUDERIA is a non-binding instrument supporting the implementation of the Council of Europe Framework on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. It is intended to guide relevant stakeholders in establishing the procedures and mechanisms needed to identify such contexts and roles in which artificial intelligence systems, or combined technologies based on such systems, are likely to pose significant levels of risk to the enjoyment of human rights, the functioning of democracy and the observance of the rule of law, and help them manage the related risks. The HUDERIA is intended for voluntary use and freely available to all. It aims to foster trust in AI technologies and promote AI innovation while mitigating risks.
The session will be divided into two parts:
- A short discussion between the panellists on the HUDERIA, its elaboration and the challenges associated with creating a one-of-a-kind, balanced technical standard addressing the risks posed by AI systems to human rights without stifling innovation.
- A social gathering aiming to bring together actors interested in the development of technical standards and risks assessments for digital technology with a particular focus on their impacts on human rights in an informal, convivial setting, and to foster connections between relevant stakeholders.
Moderator: David LESLIE, Director of Ethics and Responsible Innovation Research, The Alan Turing Institute, Consultant for the CAI.
19 December
11:15-12:15, Workshop Room 2 (hybrid)
Open Forum: Advancing Online Safety Role Standards
The session will offer participants in situ and viewers worldwide a vivid example of advocacy for human rights, a practical show of diversity of approaches and a platform for dialogue. Organisers will present examples of hands-on application of European standards for promoting human right from several complementary angles: promoting gender equality, fighting online hate speech and sexual violence against children, combating discrimination of minority groups, and assessing the potential role of AI in relation to these phenomena. The European approach on these issues is expected to be complemented by presentations from other regions offering a platform of dialogue and mutual understanding.
The session will commence with a short introduction to the Council of Europe standards and how the organisation works with member states and other key stakeholders to implement them, showing some concrete tools and examples.
The introduction will continue with a 50-minute discussion with all participants to explore other examples of tools and practices that seek to enhance multi-stakeholder cooperation to uphold human rights online.
During the session short Menti-meter questions will seek motivate and guide the involve of in-person and online participant. The online moderator will facilitate the online chat session and raise comments in the in-situ meeting.
Moderators: Menno ETTEMA, Hate Speech, Hate Crime and Artificial Intelligence, Council of Europe
Charlotte Gilmartin, Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion Council of Europe.
Speakers: Clare McGlynn, professor at Durham Law School, Expert on violence against women & girls – online;
Ivana Bartoletti, member of the Committee of Experts on AI, Equality and non-discrimination of the Council of Europe, and Vice President, Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer at Wipro – in person;
Naomi Trewinnard, Council of Europe, Sexual violence against children (Lanzarote Convention) – online.
13:45-14:45, Workshop Room 10 (hybrid)
Open Forum: Safety of journalists online
2024 marks a global “super-election year,” with nearly half of the world's population voting in around 64 countries. In democratic societies, a free press plays an essential role in safeguarding transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making during elections. Journalists provide investigative reporting, fact-checking, and critical analysis, ensuring voters have access to reliable information. However, the digital age has brought outstanding challenges, including online harassment, threats, surveillance, censorship, and cyberattacks targeting journalists and media organizations. Against this backdrop, Switzerland is organizing an Open Forum to spotlight the safety of journalists online, explore solutions to these pressing issues, and examine how we can collectively foster a secure digital environment for media professionals. The session will also showcase the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists “Journalists matter”, launched in November 2023 and aiming at ensuring the effective implementation of relevant standards to prevent violence, protect journalists, fight impunity, and raise awareness, emphasizing the critical role of the media in upholding democracy.
The Open Forum will convene stakeholders to engage in a meaningful dialogue at the intersection of technology, policy, and human rights. Participants will discuss practical actions and collaborative initiatives to empower journalists to navigate the digital landscape securely and effectively. To ensure inclusive participation, the session will incorporate live-streaming and real-time interaction for virtual attendees, with dedicated moderators facilitating equal engagement between online and onsite audiences.
Speakers: Giulia Lucchese, Steering Committee on Media and Internet Governance, Council of Europe
Gulalai Khan, communication policy, governance and gender practitioner, Internet Governance and Technology Policy teacher at the Lahore University
Bruna Martins dos Santos, digital rights activist focusing on advocacy, regulation, and policy-making on emerging technologies and Internet
Moderator: Isabelle Lois and Jorge Cancio, Swiss OFCOM