Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African digital rights organisation, has called for stronger protections of human rights online during the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Dakar. The session, held at the King Fahd Palace Hotel between 12 and 21 October, brought together African policymakers and human rights institutions to discuss pressing issues on the continent.
PIN used the platform to raise alarms about the slow pace of artificial intelligence (AI) policy development in Africa, media freedom restrictions, and ongoing violations of children’s rights on digital platforms. The organisation drew on its ongoing monitoring of digital rights violations and the findings of its Londa report, which examines digital rights and freedoms across Africa.
Bridgette Ndlovu, Partnerships and Engagements Officer, and Moussa Waly Sene, Programmes Officer for Francophone Africa, represented PIN at the session. They made a statement during discussions on the human rights situation in Africa, urging governments and regional institutions to focus more attention on digital rights protection.
As internet access and digital technologies become more integral to daily life, questions about governance, privacy, accountability, and discrimination have intensified. PIN expressed concern about how rapidly AI systems are expanding without corresponding policy frameworks to safeguard fundamental rights. The organisation stressed the need for regulatory approaches that protect people as the technology evolves.
Another major point of PIN’s advocacy was media freedom. The organisation emphasized the threats faced by journalists and the free flow of information, calling for measures to ensure access to reliable news. Children’s rights online also featured prominently, with PIN focusing on creating safer digital spaces while enabling young people to benefit from technology.
Alongside formal engagement with the African Commission, PIN organised events in Dakar from 13 to 15 October, bringing together human rights institutions, journalists, and other stakeholders to discuss emerging digital rights challenges.
On 13 October, PIN and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) convened a session on digital rights and internet freedom. The event focused on the role of national human rights institutions in monitoring elections. It drew from PIN’s Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Monitor Toolkit (DREAMT), designed to support digital rights oversight during electoral processes.
The session also screened The Signal, a short film about digital accessibility and inclusion. This was followed by conversations on making digital spaces more accessible across Africa.
The following day, PIN hosted a Digital Rights Academy for journalists and media practitioners. The training addressed information integrity, aiming to equip participants with tools to understand and counter challenges related to accuracy, credibility, and responsible information sharing.
On 15 October, the programme continued with a session based on PIN's research project Africa Facing Down Disinformation. The event presented research findings on information disorders in Senegal and outlined recommendations to tackle disinformation and improve the information environment.
These activities reflect PIN’s broader efforts to connect digital rights advocacy with practical initiatives, including election monitoring, media development, and promoting inclusive digital spaces.
The African Commission session in Dakar ended with growing calls for governments and human rights institutions to step up protections for freedoms in digital and physical environments. PIN’s presence and programming during the event underscored the expanding concerns around digital governance on the continent.
According to Joy Online.
