RightsCon Brussels brought together more than 1,200 attendees from 95 countries to discuss pressing issues at the intersection of technology and human rights.

The Global Network Initiative staff, Board, and participants were well represented at RightsCon. GNI led sessions on the economic costs of network and communications disruptions and shutdowns, shifting trends in country legal frameworks affecting companies’ abilities to respect rights in their operations, and our multi-stakeholder approaches to advancing privacy and freedom of expression in the ICT sector.

2017 RightsCon Sessions:

“Resisting Illiberal Trends: the Role of Courts in Protecting Freedom of Expression in a Complex World.” With GNI Independent Board Chair Mark Stephens, CBE (organized by Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression).

“Terrorism and the Internet: Building Bridges Between Business and Government, Civil Society, and Academia.” With GNI Executive Director Judith Lichtenberg (organized by UNCTED/ ICT4Peace Project).

“At what cost? Telecoms and Internet companies discuss internet shutdowns.” With Bennett Freeman (GNI), Chinmayi Arun (Centre for Communications Governance at National Law University, Delhi), Faten Bushehri (Bahrain Watch), Yves Nissim (Orange), and Alex Warofka (Facebook).

“Getting to Know the Global Network Initiative.” (Lunch Event) With Michael Samway (Georgetown University), David Kaye (UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion), Chinmayi Arun (Centre for Communications Governance at National Law University, Delhi), Milka Pietikainen (Millicom), Nicole Karlebach (Yahoo) and Vivek Krishnamurthy (Berkman Klein Center), Rebecca MacKinnon (Ranking Digital Rights).

In Search of Rights- Respecting Surveillance Laws.” With David Sullivan (GNI), Sidsela Nyebak (Telenor), Cynthia Wong (Human Rights Watch), Bernard Shen (Microsoft), Matthew Rice (Privacy International), K.S. Park (Korea University Law School), and Amos Toh (Office of the UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion).

For more sessions that were organized by or featured GNI’s multi-stakeholder membership, click here.