Welcome to Cities and Digital Human Rights!

What is Cities and Digital Human Rights?

“Cities and Digital Human Rights” is an online platform with the objective of supporting public officials, specialists, and organisations in the world that are advancing digital transformation processes with a focus on human rights.

Cities are one of the most relevant levels of action to perceive the results of these changes. They are the level of proximity, with many direct links with the people. Changes happen fast in cities, and they are at the frontline when social challenges, cultural changes, economical shifts happen.

‘Digital’ human rights are interpreted as existing human rights which need to be protected in the context of digital technologies, as physical and digital spaces are increasingly intertwined. Digital rights assess how digital technology affects previously recognized rights – i.e., civil, political, economical, social and cultural rights.

Who is collaborating in the creation of this space?

Cities and Digital Human Rights has the support of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Unit, a global consultancy firm specialising in public innovation, strategic design, and digital transformation, is collaborating as the entity responsible for the project’s technical direction. The platform has the support of the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, with the goal to share stories of cities advancing digital rights on the ground, to build common frameworks that advance shared understanding of digital human rights in cities and to advocate for the leading role cities can uptake in this field.

Who is it aimed at?

This community is aimed at people who believe in people-centred smart cities and are carrying out digital transformation processes with a focus on human rights and values.

We are particularly calling on:

Public officials from around the world
Experts on subjects related to digital human rights, inclusive digital transformation, people-centered smart cities

What can you find here?

We provide useful tools for understanding and adopting the principles of people-centred smart cities. We are also a dissemination space for important case studies and the perspectives of relevant actors and stakeholders globally.

In addition to this, we promote interactions with communities, facilitate assistance from specialists for specific challenges, and provide access to different opportunities that favour digital transformation.