New and Emerging Digital Technologies and Human Rights

A/HRC/RES/53/29View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2023.

What other versions does this mandate have?

4 versions · 2019–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/59/11

2025A/HRC/RES/59/11New and emerging digital technologies and human rightsLatestCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/53/29New and emerging digital technologies and human rightsCompare with previous version
2021A/HRC/RES/47/23New and emerging digital technologies and human rightsCompare with previous version
2019A/HRC/RES/41/11New and emerging digital technologies and human rights

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building Corporate Social Responsibility Digital Technology Human Rights New Technologies

What does this mandate say?

15 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the importance of a holistic, inclusive and comprehensive approach and the need for all stakeholders to collaborate in a more concerted way in addressing the possible impacts, opportunities and challenges of new and emerging digital technologies with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights;

Notes the Secretary-General’s call for Member States to place human rights at the centre of regulatory frameworks and legislation on the development and use of digital technologies, and for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop system-wide guidance on human rights due diligence and impact assessments in the use of new technologies;

Highlights the importance of the need to respect, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, in recognition of the inherent dignity of the human person, throughout the lifecycle of artificial intelligence systems and, towards this end, the need to pay particular attention to:

Protecting individuals from harm caused by artificial intelligence systems, including by ensuring the safety of artificial intelligence systems, introducing frameworks for impact assessments related to human rights, exercising due diligence to assess, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts, and ensuring effective remedies and human oversight, accountability and legal responsibility;

Protecting individuals from discrimination on the basis of, inter alia, race, gender, age, disability, nationality, religion and language resulting from the conception, design, use, deployment and further deployment of artificial intelligence systems, while paying attention to individuals at greater risk of having their rights disproportionately affected by artificial intelligence, including persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious, linguistic or racial minorities, Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities, persons in rural areas, economically disadvantaged persons and persons in vulnerable or marginalized situations, including by ensuring that data used in the training of algorithms are accurate, relevant and representative and audited against encoded bias;

Promoting the transparency of artificial intelligence systems and adequate explainability of artificial intelligence-supported decisions, taking into account the various levels of human rights risks arising from these technologies;

Ensuring that data for artificial intelligence systems are collected, used, shared, archived and deleted in ways that are consistent with States’ respective obligations under international human rights law and the responsibilities of business enterprises in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;

Strengthening, as necessary, the oversight and enforcement capacity of respective States relevant to artificial intelligence and sectors where artificial intelligence is being applied to allow more effective measures to protect against human rights risks relating to artificial intelligence;

Promoting research and the sharing of best practices on ensuring transparency, human oversight and accountability in relation to the uses of artificial intelligence systems in ways that prevent and avoid the spread of disinformation and hate speech, including in instances where such systems are used to support content moderation, while ensuring that the right of individuals to freedom of opinion and expression, the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and other human rights are protected, promoted and respected;

Also highlights the importance of promoting and protecting the right of everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and to this end notes the importance of bridging digital divides, promoting digital literacy as well as public awareness and understanding of new and emerging digital technologies, promoting risk awareness and self-protection training and guidance, and supporting capacity-building initiatives to enhance understanding, knowledge and skills relating to the human rights implications of new and emerging digital technologies;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report, in consultation with States, mapping the work and recommendations of the Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner, the treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council in the field of human rights and new and emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as identifying gaps and challenges and making recommendations on how to address them, while giving due consideration to the United Nations system-wide work on new and emerging digital technologies, and to present the report to the Council at its fifty-sixth session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue;

Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to expand the capacities within the Office of the High Commissioner, to advance human rights in the context of new and emerging digital technologies, including at the regional level, and to provide advice and technical assistance to States, upon their request, on issues concerning human rights and new and emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, and to, as appropriate, all relevant United Nations organizations and bodies;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to work on the practical application of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to the activities of technology companies, including by convening an expert consultation, including with States and business enterprises, including technology companies, civil society and academia, to discuss challenges, good practices and lessons learned in applying the Guiding Principles to the activities of technology companies, including activities relating to artificial intelligence, and to submit a report thereon to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-ninth session;

Encourages discussions among States and relevant stakeholders, including civil society, to consider ways for the Human Rights Council to work more effectively towards promoting and protecting human rights in the context of new and emerging digital technologies in a holistic, comprehensive and inclusive manner, building upon the work of the mechanisms of the Council, the treaty bodies and other relevant work on this topic;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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