State of Big Tech: Dismantling Digital Enclosures

IT for Change invites you to the State of Big Tech Dialogue, an online panel discussion to mark the launch of our upcoming report, State of Big Tech: Dismantling Digital Enclosures on the 21st of November, from 7:00- 9:00 PM IST / 2:30 to 4:30 PM CET / 8:30 to 10:30 AM EST.

We invite you to come listen to a panel of key voices – including some of the the volume’s contributors – reflect on the report, the state of the contemporary struggle against Big Tech, the stakes around important battle-grounds being formed today, as well as the potential inherent in current forms of resistance and projects for building an alternative digital economy.

Please register here and a personalized zoom link will be emailed to you.

About the State of Big Tech:

Envisioned as an evolving, year-on-year endeavor that will track and unpack the developments in the Big Tech space, our debut edition of the State of Big Tech is a powerful volume of essays that brings together important perspectives on the corporatization of digital technologies from across regions and constituencies, that touch upon themes including data value chains, sectoral deep-dives, regulatory stalemates, the neo-colonial dimension of the digital economy, the state of platform labour, as well modes of resistance and experiments in building progressive models towards new digital futures.

Complemented with stunning and evocative art work and select expert interviews, the compendium is a critical, inspiring and original contribution that attempts to capture the current phenomenon of digital capitalism.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development/Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

Human Rights in the Digital Age: Ensuring Access and Equality While Addressing Risks and Threats

This is an open invitation to a high-level virtual side event “Human Rights in the Digital Age: Ensuring Access and Equality While Addressing Risks and Threats” hosted by The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, which will take place on 27 September 2022 at 10:00-11:30 AM.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, among other dignitaries, experts, and civil society representatives, will deliver remarks

To register for the event, please RSVP to OHCHR (Ann Syauta, syauta@un.org) by 26 September.

Interpretation available in English, French, and Spanish.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family/NY, please visit ngofamilyny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@yahoo.com or bknotts@uua.org.

Digital Equity: Policies, Access, Literacy & Safety

The NGO Committee on Ageing-New York’s program provides a platform for a multi-stakeholder dialogue with a call to action. Speakers will address digital equity, including adequate policies, access, digital literacy, and safety. The virtual program will take place October 1^st from 10:00—11:30am EDT.

Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6cE7POAkqrbuCIgY3L2HFJghTde6BlqlF2HrEayaE4gwoCA/viewform

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on Ageing-New York is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship to the United Nations, and more information is available at ngocoa-ny.org. Likewise, for more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Geneva, please visit ageingcommitteegeneva.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Ageing-Vienna, please visit ngoageingvie.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com.

Briefing to Civil Society on UNODC Strategy

UNODC has recently launched its new five-year strategy, covering 2021-25. Recognizing that a key to successful implementation of this Strategy will be the expanded use of partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders, the online meeting on February 25th will provide a briefing to Civil Society partners. The briefing will include a presentation of the Strategy by Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), UNODC and Bo Mathiassen, Deputy Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), UNODC. The presentation will be followed by a Question & Answer session for the civil society participants.

Register here!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, please visit crimealliance.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

14th United Nations Crime Congress

The 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will be held from 7 to 12 March 2021 in Kyoto, Japan. The UN General Assembly has formally decided on these dates (A/DEC/74/550 B), which had been recommended by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, as the preparatory body of the Crime Congress. There will be pre-Congress consultations on 6 March 2021. The 14th Congress was originally scheduled to take place in Kyoto, Japan, on 20-27 April 2020, and postponed, due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

As per General Assembly Resolution 72/192, the substantive Agenda Items of the 14^th Congress are the following:

Comprehensive strategies for crime prevention towards social and economic development
Integrated approaches to challenges facing the criminal justice system.
Multidimensional approaches by Governments to promoting the rule of law by, inter alia, providing access to justice for all; building effective, accountable, impartial and inclusive institutions; and considering social, educational and other relevant measures, including fostering a culture of lawfulness while respecting cultural identities, in line with the Doha Declaration.
International cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime:

(a) Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;

(b) New and emerging forms of crime.

The proposed organization of work indicates approximately when these topics will be discussed by the Congress in Kyoto (Japan Standard Time, UTC/GMT +9 hours).

Registration information is available here, and the registration deadline is February 18.

Read more about the event and full program here.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, please visit crimealliance.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

[CSocD59 Side Event] The Role of Digital Technologies to Stop Online Sexual Exploitation of Children

59th Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development Virtual Side Event February 15, 2021 8:30AM EST – please register by February 13!

Priority Theme “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”

Event Title: The role of digital technologies to stop online sexual exploitation of children

Objectives:

1. To protect our youth from cyber exploitation, especially livestreamed sexual abuse.

2. To call on Member States to prioritize setting-up legally binding internet governance that will ensure respect of human rights, child protection, and equality for all.

3. To share creative and systemic good practices from the government, private technology industries and different stakeholders.

Speakers:

H.E. Enrique A. Manalo, Permanent Representative, Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN
Ambassador Per-Anders Sunesson, Deputy Director-General- Swedish Ministry for Health and Social Affairs, Former Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Swedish MFF
Abbie Gillgan, Policy Manager, Tackling Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), United Kingdom Home Office Role of Digital Technologies: Stop Online Exploitation of Children
Richard Pursey, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, SafeToNet Jaqueline Beauchere Global Digital Safety Advocate, Microsoft
Madeline and Jamie Gall, Youth Advocates
Marvie L. Misolas, MM Winifred Doherty, RGS, & Fred Sullivan, Co-Moderators

Register here!

Contact mmisolas@mksisters.org with questions.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights, please visit childrightsny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Dimensions of the Virtual World

Dear colleagues,

You are warmly invited to an online dialogue on “Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Dimensions of the Virtual World” during a side event for the Commission on Social Development, hosted by the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations Office, the United Arab Emirates and NGO Committee on Social Development. The details for the event are:

The growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) raises fundamental questions about the type of societies we want to build and the kinds of lives they support. This online dialogue will explore vital questions of values, vision, ethics, and purpose with regard to AI, and ways that they are being addressed in social, technological, and political terms.

Panelists:

Major Hamad Khatir, Director of International Partnership, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates
Ms. Eline Chivot, Senior Adviser on Digital Policy for the European People’s Party
Ms. Yu Ping Chang, UN representative on behalf of the Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Technology
Dr. Douglas Allen, Associate Professor of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Sincerely,

Daniel Perell
Representative to the United Nations
Bahá’í International Community

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

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