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The paper examines the tension between SADC's economic-driven digital agenda and the protection of fundamental human rights. It identifies systemic threats including state-sanctioned internet shutdowns, surveillance, and algorithmic bias, while analyzing the influence of digital geopolitics involving the US, China, and the EU. The authors advocate for the recognition of the 'right to Internet access' and the adoption of 'data justice' frameworks to ensure an inclusive digital future by 2035.

The document advocates for a shift from a market-driven digital ecosystem to one governed by 'Communication Rights,' which emphasize collective access, data sovereignty, and public interest regulation. It critiques the 'Global Digital Compact' for lacking substantive mechanisms for gender and social justice and analyzes how Western media outlets like The Economist exhibit geopolitical biases in conflict reporting, contrasting this with the perceived credibility of Al Jazeera's coverage of Gaza.

The document explores the transition from electronic money to CBDCs, focusing on China's e-CNY as a tool for renminbi internationalisation and its potential impact on Africa. It details the technical differences between cryptocurrencies and CBDCs, the specific two-tier design of the e-CNY, and the risks associated with privacy and financial disintermediation. For Africa, the paper highlights opportunities for financial inclusion and more efficient remittances, while cautioning against the risks of digital divide and state surveillance. It concludes with recommendations for African civil society and policymakers to engage in the design and standard-setting of digital currency frameworks to maintain monetary autonomy.

The document argues for a rights-based approach to communication, distinguishing between the 'right to communicate' (the ability to speak) and the 'right to communication' (equitable access to infrastructure). It examines how alternative and community media serve as tools for resistance and identity formation for marginalized groups, including indigenous peoples in Colombia and Mexico and Palestinians facing communication blackouts. The text also analyzes the impact of digital platforms, algorithmic censorship, and state control on freedom of expression, while advocating for 'communicative justice' and structural media reforms to dismantle corporate and state monopolies.

The document examines two primary tracks of e-commerce governance at the WTO: the multilateral Work Program on Electronic Commerce and the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It highlights the reinvigorated thematic discussions under the Work Program and the 'slimmed-down' nature of the JSI negotiations following the US decision to withdraw support for data flow and source code proposals. A central point of contention is the provisional moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, where developing economies argue that the loss of government revenue and restricted industrial policy space outweigh the trade cost reductions favored by developed economies.

The IPIE argues that AI audits are the primary mechanism to operationalize governance, moving beyond simple transparency to ensure human rights compliance and the fair distribution of AI benefits. It proposes a global audit framework based on universal parameters—including fairness, transparency, and technical robustness—and offers the IPIE's scientific expertise to help the UN develop these international standards and research functions.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and 25 partners from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East convened in Kathmandu, Nepal, in October 2024 to analyze the UN Global Digital Compact. The resulting report argues that the Compact lacks explicit mention of 'communication rights' and fails to address the human-driven nature of technology and its environmental impacts. The document provides detailed recommendations to ensure the digital transition prioritizes the public good over private profit, promotes gender intersectionality, addresses climate justice, and protects the rights of migrants.

WACC partners argue that the Global Digital Compact (GDC) lacks a focus on communication rights and fails to adequately address the environmental impacts of technology, gender intersectionality, and the specific vulnerabilities of migrants. They recommend transitioning from a market-oriented digital model to one based on public interest, where digital resources are treated as public utilities and governance prioritizes human rights over private profit.

The South African Youth Gender Action Plan (SA YGAP) is a framework developed by youth aged 13-30 to address systemic gender inequalities in South Africa. It proposes specific interventions across seven pillars: education, health, safety, gender-based violence (GBV), identity and sexuality, the public/private sector, and sustainable transformation. Key demands include the national adoption of inclusive school policies, the provision of free menstrual products, the recognition of obstetric violence as a form of homicide, and the integration of marginalised genders into 'Just Transition' climate policies. The plan emphasizes an intersectional approach to dismantle patriarchal and heteronormative structures affecting women, youth, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

The document explores the intersection of power, memory, and communication rights. It argues for 'archival justice' in the Caribbean to include oral traditions and non-traditional records previously excluded by colonial Eurocentric practices. It examines the systemic discrimination against Caribbean French Creole languages and advocates for their official recognition. Additionally, it discusses the 'Communication for All' framework as a human right, proposing its integration as a standalone UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 18) to support the African Union's Agenda 2063.

The document identifies several critical gaps in current international trade rules as artificial intelligence (AI) integrates into goods and services. It highlights the difficulty of the goods-services distinction, the inadequacy of GATS modes of delivery for AI-embedded products, and the lack of TRIPS agreement definitions for AI-generated intellectual property. While acknowledging the WTO's slow pacing and divergent national norms, the author argues that the WTO should utilize soft law and informal norms to prevent regulatory fragmentation and ensure inclusive global economic growth.

The report analyzes women's participation in large-scale mining across 12 countries, finding that while female employment is slowly increasing, the sector remains highly masculinized with significant structural barriers. Women often possess higher general educational attainment than men but lack the specific technical and vocational qualifications required for core operational roles. The report identifies a 'leaky pipeline' where women exit the workforce at younger ages, often due to non-inclusive working conditions, lack of childcare, and sexist corporate cultures. It further examines how disruptive technologies (AI, automation) and the energy transition (demand for critical minerals) will reshape the labor market, warning that without targeted upskilling, women may be disproportionately displaced from clerical and low-skill roles while remaining excluded from high-skill digital and technical positions. The document concludes with policy recommendations for governments and companies to implement gender-responsive strategies, pay equity reviews, and inclusive health and safety standards.

The report analyzes the participation of women in large-scale mining across 12 countries, finding that while female employment is gradually increasing, the sector remains heavily masculinized with persistent structural barriers. Women are often concentrated in administrative roles and face significant gender pay gaps, inadequate facilities, and a 'leaky pipeline' where they leave the industry earlier than men. The document explores how megatrends—specifically disruptive technologies and the energy transition—will reshape mining jobs, potentially displacing low-to-medium skilled roles (often held by women) while creating new opportunities in STEM and environmental management. It concludes with policy recommendations for governments and companies to improve data collection, eliminate sexist biases, and implement gender-responsive training and parental leave policies.

The report establishes a baseline for women's employment in large-scale mining across 12 countries, finding that while female participation is slowly increasing, the sector remains heavily masculinized with significant structural barriers. Women are often concentrated in administrative roles and face a 'leaky pipeline' where they leave the industry at earlier career stages than men. The document highlights a paradox where women in mining often have higher formal education levels than men but lack the specific technical and vocational certifications required for high-paying operational roles. It further analyzes how the 'mine of the future'—characterized by automation, digitalization, and decarbonization—could either marginalize women further due to a digital divide and STEM gaps or provide new opportunities in environmental engineering and remote operations. The report concludes with policy recommendations for governments and companies to improve gender-responsive data collection, workplace safety, and inclusive skill-development programs.

The paper analyzes the growth of civic tech in southern Africa, identifying a strong concentration of initiatives in South Africa and a primary focus on democracy and governance. It explores two diverging pathways: civic tech as a government partner or as an independent, community-driven tool for development. The authors highlight significant barriers, including the digital divide, funding instability, and adversarial relationships between governments and tech innovators, while recommending sustainable funding models and increased digital literacy for public officials.

The document analyzes how media coverage of migration often relies on biased, superficial narratives that 'other' migrants or frame them as security threats. It advocates for a rights-based approach to communication, highlighting the role of digital technologies in supporting migrants while warning against corporate digital monopolies. Through case studies in Asia-Pacific, Nigeria, West Papua, and the Dominican Republic, it demonstrates the barriers migrants face in exercising their communication rights and provides specific ethical recommendations for journalists to foster more inclusive and accurate reporting.

The report provides a fifth-year stocktake of the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce, noting a trend toward a less ambitious agreement focused on e-commerce facilitation. It highlights a fragmented national policy environment, the rise of flexible regional Digital Economy Agreements to address trends like artificial intelligence, and a multilateral focus on bridging the digital divide following COVID-19.

The report analyzes the intersection of climate-resilient infrastructure and gender disparities in 19 African countries. It identifies how climate change disproportionately affects women—increasing labor burdens for food, water, and energy—and how inadequate infrastructure exacerbates these vulnerabilities. The document provides detailed socioeconomic profiles for several countries, including Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria, highlighting gaps in education, financial inclusion, and political representation. To mitigate these risks, the ICRF proposes a three-component strategy involving blended finance, capacity building, and policy interventions, with specific entry points for gender mainstreaming such as prioritizing women-led companies in procurement and collecting sex-disaggregated data.

The brief examines the WTO JSI on e-commerce, noting a shift toward a less ambitious agreement focusing on 'lower-hanging fruit' like e-commerce facilitation. It highlights the rise of Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and increased national regulatory activity, while noting that the JSI's December 2022 consolidated text reflects a dilution of policy coverage and the removal of a dedicated market access section.

The report provides a comprehensive stocktake of the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce as of December 2022. It highlights a shift toward a less ambitious agreement for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on resolved trade facilitation issues while deferring controversial market access topics. The document analyzes the impact of increasing national digital regulation, the rise of flexible Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs), and the revitalized WTO Work Programme's focus on the digital divide. It details the structural changes in the December 2022 consolidated text (INF/ECOM/62/Rev.3), including the removal of the 'Market Access' section and the creation of an 'Annex' for low-support proposals. While 10 articles have reached 'clean' or 'convergent' status, significant gaps remain regarding cross-border data flows and source code. The report concludes that 2023 will be a critical year for finalizing a simplified agreement.