Background

The digital world offers both opportunities and challenges for young people. It has the potential to empower young people in all their diversity, offering them additional platforms and space in which to engage. However, young people can also face threats and restrictions to their human rights online.

Human Rights Council resolution 51/17 on youth and human rights requests the High Commissioner to a detailed study on the solutions to promote digital education for young people and to ensure their protection from online threats, to be presented to the Council at its fifty-seventh session. It also requests that the report be carried out in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including States, relevant United Nations agencies, the treaty bodies, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, national human rights institutions, civil society and representatives of youth organizations.

Objectives

The report aims to explore (i) the legal and policy framework concerning the human rights of young people and digital education and protection from online threats; (ii) the main gaps and challenges concerning digital education for young people and their protection from online threats; and (iii) good practices of solutions to promote digital education for young people and to ensure their protection from online threats.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

In order to inform the preparations of the study, the UN Human Rights Office has prepared a call for inputs for stakeholders to respond to concerning the focus areas of the report.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights invites all interested States, civil society organizations, representatives of youth organizations, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, academics and others, to provide written inputs to the following questions for this thematic study.

Respondents are requested to limit their comments to a maximum of 5 pages. Additional supporting materials, such as reports, academic studies, and other types of background materials may be annexed to the submission.

1. What are the main challenges that young people in your country face in accessing digital education? Please consider the specific situation of marginalized young people and those in vulnerable situations in your response.
2. What steps is the Government taking to ensure that digital education is accessible and promoted among young people? Please provide examples of specific laws and regulations, measures, policies, and programmes directed at ensuring young people’s universal access to digital education.
3. What steps is the Government taking to ensure that young people can realize their human rights online in a safe, empowering, and inclusive way?
4. What are the main gaps and challenges to young people’s protection from online threats in law, policy, and practice in your country and the impacts on young people’s human rights? Please consider the specific situation of marginalized young people and those in vulnerable situations in your response.
5. What steps is the Government taking to ensure that young people are protected from online threats? Please provide examples of specific laws and regulations, measures, policies, and programmes.

Please provide any relevant statistical or disaggregated data based on age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, migration status, or other categories.

How inputs will be used?

Submissions will be made publicly available, in full and as received, on the OHCHR website, unless otherwise requested.