The Global Network Initiative is pleased to announce that Global Partners Digital (GPD) has joined our international multi-stakeholder initiative for free expression and privacy.

A social purpose company dedicated to fostering a digital environment underpinned by human rights and democratic values, GPD works with a global community of stakeholders around the world to strengthen the ability of civil society to advocate and collaborate for human rights online.

GPD becomes the 15th member of GNI’s NGO constituency, which includes international and local human rights and press freedom groups based in Africa, South and East Asia, Europe, South America, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“At a time when GNI is expanding our global membership, we are excited to welcome the GPD team and their partners, and look forward to leveraging their rich experience and our combined networks to help digital rights advocates around the globe better engage with policymakers on the escalating threats to free expression and privacy online,” said GNI Executive Director Judith Lichtenberg.

“As threats to freedom of expression and privacy online continue to increase, the value of GNI as a global platform for meaningful discussions and innovative policymaking between stakeholder groups has never been more important. We’re delighted to join the GNI community, and can’t wait to get started,” said GPD Executive Director Charles Bradley.

London-based GPD works with civil society, governments, companies and the technical community to facilitate strategic, informed and coordinated engagement in internet-related decision-making processes at the international, regional and local levels, and to make these processes more open, transparent and inclusive.

GNI and GPD members and partners have a history of collaboration, including in the context of the Freedom Online Coalition, whose secretariat is housed within GPD, and which includes GNI members in its working groups.

“The GNI has always been a key touchstone for GPD’s work around business and human rights,” added Mr Bradley. “Their Principles of Freedom of Expression and Privacy, in particular, have been invaluable, most recently in our work with tech SMEs in Kenya and Senegal; and we’ve worked on both an individual basis and collective basis with many GNI members. It’s exciting to be able to take that collaboration to the next level, and see what GPD can contribute to GNI’s pioneering work,” Mr. Bradley said.

For more information about Global Partners Digital, visit the GPD website.