On 20 – 21 July 2023, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) co-organized a workshop, with Thailand’s Ministry of Justice, on ensuring the protection of human rights in the online sphere under international human rights law.
The workshop was aimed at fostering dialogue and action by policymakers and justice sector actors on the exercise of human rights online, with a view to more effective adoption and implementation of laws, policies and practices in line with international human rights law.
The workshop was attended by 20 representatives from various agencies from the Thai executive and judiciary, including the Office of the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, National Security Council, and other agencies.
The key thematic issues discussed during the workshop included:
- The right to online freedom of expression and information;
- The right to privacy;
- The role and responsibility of social media companies in safeguarding online freedom of expression; and
- New and emerging technologies and their impacts on human rights.
Speakers at the workshop included:
- Santiago Canton, Secretary General, ICJ;
- Ruangsak Suwaree, Director-General, Rights and Liberties Protection Department, Ministry of Justice;
- Endy Bayuni, Board Member, Oversight Board;
- Associate Professor Tossapon Tassanakunlapan, Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University;
- Daron Tan, Associate International Legal Adviser, ICJ; and
- Sanhawan Srisod, Associate International Legal Adviser, ICJ.
Participants reaffirmed the need to integrate international human rights law into Thailand’s laws, policies and practices, in order to ensure that human rights in the online sphere are respected, protected and fulfilled.
Contact
Daron Tan, ICJ Associate International Legal Adviser, e: daron.tan@icj.org
Sanhawan Srisod, ICJ Associate International Legal Adviser, e: sanhawan.srisod@icj.org