Human rights are at risk not just in temporal spaces, but online. The Council of Europe has been at the forefront of setting legal standards regarding human rights in online spaces.
This week, the 24th edition of the University on Youth and Development (UYD) is taking place in Mollina, Spain. It started on Monday 15 September on the theme Empowering youth in digital safety, an absolutely vital area for young people not only in Europe but also globally, some of whom find themselves frustrated with algorithms, victims of disinformation or hate speech, or dragged into extremism.
Harnessing technology
Work needs to be done to protect rights. Rocío Cervera, Deputy Executive Director of the North-South Centre stated at the UYD that we "need a new vision in which technology is not about machines replacing us, but machines enhancing the best of us. In this we can be inspired by one of humanity's greatest steps forward: the recognition of human rights."
This very much chimes with the New Democratic Pact for Europe, which is the Council of Europe's collective and consultative response to the challenges facing democracy today. The Pact recognises the issues with digital safety. It aims to ensure that innovation is harnessed to broaden access, increase transparency, and restore citizens' trust in elections.
Digital safety attracting from far and wide
Nearly 250 participants from 78 countries have come to Mollina for the UYD. There they will enjoy a week full of training sessions, dialogue and workshops centred around digital safety. The initiative is co-funded by the Council of Europe, and aims to strengthen young people's capacities to act for human rights and the rule of law, a core goal of North-South Centre, a Council of Europe body which, together with seven other partners, organises the UYD.
It is hoped that the young people involved will gain new skills in media literacy and information integrity, while being inspired by the intercultural dialogue with their peers.
New Democratic Pact for Europe
University of Youth and Development 2025
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