The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan Ministry of State for Human Rights and Relations with Parliament, will hold tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16, 2021, an international symposium on “Human Rights and the Digital Challenge,” to tackle the risks of the digital revolution, the rapid expansion of digital space and its growing effects on fundamental rights and freedoms, and ways to counter violent and hate speech against women, girls, children and refugees, and combat cybercrime.

The symposium will start at 09:00 (GMT), at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, and through videoconference. The addresses scheduled on the opening session include those of Mr. El Mostapha Ramid, Minister of State for Human Rights and Relations with Parliament, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG). The symposium will also witness a high-level participation, including the representatives of the National Council for Human Rights, the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor, the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection in Morocco, and international specialized organizations, as well as specialists and experts.

The symposium aims to broaden the partnership framework on the protection of human rights in the virtual world, open channels for dialogue and experience-sharing among participants. The symposium also aims to contribute to the development of Member States’ mechanisms for the protection of human rights in the digital space, share successful experiences on the use digital media, and anticipate future challenges resulting from the rapid technological development.

The event is part of the partnership agreement that ICESCO and the Moroccan Ministry of State for Human Rights and Relations with the Parliament signed, on December 10, 2020, to ensure coordination and cooperation to achieve the strategic objectives of the national action plan on democracy and human rights.

The symposium will be live on the official page of ICESCO on Facebook, through the link below: https://www.facebook.com/ICESCO.En/live