The respect and protection of human rights are increasingly recognised as essential dimensions of trustworthy digital transformation. As ICT standards define how technologies operate, interact, and affect users, they can directly influence fundamental rights such as privacy, equality, non-discrimination, and freedom of expression.
In 2024, StandICT.eu dedicated a major event to this topic, convening experts from international Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs), civil society, and public institutions to explore how human rights principles can be operationalised within technical standardisation. The discussion formed the basis for a comprehensive report, now available on Zenodo.
The report outlines key challenges, ranging from the limited awareness of human rights among technical communities to the absence of structured methodologies for assessing rights impacts, and sets out actionable recommendations. These include the development of training materials, the introduction of human-rights-based assessment frameworks within SDOs, and stronger cooperation between standardisation experts, policymakers, and human rights institutions.
Building on the findings of the 2024 report, StandICT has launched a dedicated Human Rights Survey to collect examples and best practices from experts, organisations, and SDO participants. The goal is to identify concrete cases where human rights considerations have already informed standards development, governance, or implementation, helping to translate high-level principles into practical approaches.
If you are involved in ICT standardisation, whether as a technical expert, policymaker, researcher, or industry representative, your experience can make a difference.