Within a generation, digital systems have transformed learning, work, and civic participation, especially in well-connected regions. While developing countries experience this shift at varying speeds, the key challenge is no longer whether digital development should occur but how to ensure it empowers individuals and communities while safeguarding human rights.
As digital transitions accelerate, protecting rights in the online space has become a shared responsibility. UNDP’s Digital Rights Dashboard (DRD) was created to clarify the landscape of digital rights and serve as a first step toward informed dialogue and action to protect human rights in the digital world.
The DRD complements UNDP’s existing tools, such as the Digital Development Compass and Digital Readiness Assessment, by focusing specifically on the protection of human rights online. It examines four essential rights—freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of assembly and association, equality and non-discrimination, and privacy—while also considering cross-cutting factors like connectivity and the rule of law. The dashboard assesses the policies, regulations, and enabling environments shaping digital rights across more than 140 countries, acting as a catalyst for dialogue among governments, civil society, and development partners rather than as a ranking system.
One of the DRD’s key challenges is the limited availability of comprehensive data on digital rights, which can make it difficult to fully capture how well environments protect rights in practice. To address data gaps, the Digital Rights Foundations database was developed. Additionally, legal frameworks do not always reflect on-the-ground realities; laws such as data protection or hate speech regulations may be unevenly enforced, and processes like public consultations often fall outside measurable indicators. As such, the DRD is intended as an entry point for deeper national analysis and dialogue rather than a definitive assessment.
UNDP piloted the DRD in Colombia, Lebanon, Mauritania, North Macedonia, and Samoa to test its practical application. In Colombia, the dashboard highlighted robust legal frameworks alongside evolving needs, particularly regarding surveillance laws, while multi-stakeholder efforts in countering hate speech and digitalizing justice services demonstrated promising pathways for equality and safety.
In Samoa, early-stage efforts show proactive engagement with stakeholders to shape inclusive data governance and cybersecurity policies. Partnerships with local organizations, supported by UNDP, have leveraged digital platforms to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, including women and survivors of domestic violence.
Lebanon’s experience illustrates the difficulties of safeguarding digital rights amid crisis. Disruptions to connectivity and freedom of expression present challenges, yet digital tools can strengthen accountability and transparency, as demonstrated in UNDP’s collaboration with the National Anti-Corruption Committee to implement access-to-information legislation using digital means.
The pilot studies revealed that rights-based digital development strengthens institutions, empowers communities, and builds trust in digital systems. While the DRD has limitations and more robust data is needed, it provides a shared understanding of where protections are strong and where gaps persist. Countries and stakeholders can begin shaping digital development that respects human rights by combining the DRD’s insights with national expertise, civil society perspectives, and human rights reporting.
