On 1 July 2024, 52 countries joined the Statement on “Digitalization of Cities and Human Rights”.
It is the first time that the UN Human Rights Council addresses the question of ‘smart cities’. While digitalization presents many opportunities (accessibility of public services, enhanced civic participation), it also entails human rights risks, including those arising from the scale and quality of the collected personal data (right to privacy), or arising from discrimination and the deepening of the digital divide.
The GCH commends the 52 countries who joined the Statement on “Digitalization of Cities and Human Rights” on 1 July 2024, during the 56th session of the UN Human rights Council. Smartness definitely needs to be measured not only by the breadth of technologies deployed, but rather by how local and regional governments deploy and use such technologies to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of their inhabitants and enhance the quality of life of the population.
Read the full statement here.