On September 21, Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department addressed the participants of the Recharging advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) programme in Amsterdam. The initiative is implemented by the Hertie School together with the Netherlands and Hungarian Helsinki Committees. The project is connecting 27 leading European human rights defenders in a two-years capacity- and alliance-building programme. Recharging advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) aims to help forming an embryonic 'civic intervention force' operating with a heightened understanding of cross-border spill-over effects and mobilising support throughout the entire European space to buttress resilience.

The presentation “New technologies and rights: the Council of Europe approach” outlined the latest technological developments and their impact on human rights, and emphasised the Council of Europe’s responses on the policy and implementation levels in the areas of freedom of expression, media freedom, privacy, internet governance, cybercrime and artificial intelligence. The speaker further underlined the important role civil society organisations, NGOs and human rights defenders play as both partners and beneficiaries of the Council of Europe, the current areas and tools of cooperation as well as new opportunities to explore.

• Presentation