Toronto/CMEDIA: Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, reportedly announced Feb 12 that Global Affairs Canada will provide $1.8 million in funding to Access Now for its project Counteracting Transnational Repression and Protecting Society in the Digital Age.
“In many countries, human rights defenders are targeted for their human rights work in online spaces…Amid growing attacks on human rights defenders worldwide, Canada remains committed to supporting the digital safety and security of those who are doing this critical work,” Joly has said
Being an increasing concern for human rights defenders around the world, Digital safety protects threats posed by intimidation and harassment, disinformation, technological attacks and surveillance.
Aiming to increase the safety and security of civil society actors and human rights defenders, this project , will also focus on communities impacted by transnational repression.
Digital technologies’s central role in advancing the work of human rights defenders, helps from sharing information to fostering networks to coordinating public demonstrations.
Despite the many benefits human rights defenders impart to digital technologies, they continue to face risks online and digitally in an increasingly technologically driven-world.
These risks become easier for malign actors to reach beyond their borders to threaten the well-being of human rights defenders in undermining their invaluable work.
Targeting digital security support through Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline, this project aims to deliver over a two-year period to advocate to combat transnational repression tactics, like surveillance and spyware; and facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement on digital security threats through the RightsCon Summit Series.
Recognizing and applauding the key role played by human rights defenders, Canada protects and promotes human rightsin strengthening the rule of law to themselves, their loved ones and communities and to the organizations and movements they often represent.
“Supporting these defenders is a key pillar of Canada’s human rights work at home and around the world…and works closely with other partners to defend and advance universal human rights, including digitally and online,” said a news release
