Promotion and protection of human rights in the context of digital technologies A/RES/80/215 harness digital technologies to advance all human rights, including the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities and the right to development, Recalling that the obligation and the primary responsibility to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms lie with the State, Reiterating that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and affirming that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, Recognizing the global and open nature of the Internet and the rapid advancement in information and communications technologies as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development in its various forms, including in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, 16 Recognizing also that Internet governance must continue to be global and multi‑stakeholder in nature, with the full involvement of Governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, technical and academic communities and all other relevant stakeholders in accordance with their respective roles and responsibilities, and reaffirming that Internet governance should continue to follow the provisions set forth in the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society adopted at its first phase, held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003, and at its second phase, held in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005, 17 including in relation to enhanced cooperation, Noting that the increasing use of digital technologies has impacts on the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, and recognizing that digital technologies can work as enablers of human rights, but that, without appropriate safeguards, they can be used to seriously threaten the protection and full enjoyment of human rights, Recalling that, in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, 18 business enterprises must meet their responsibility to avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities, and address such impacts as they occur, as well as for business enterprises to seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts, Recognizing the need to ensure that human rights are promoted, respected, protected and fulfilled throughout all stages of the life cycle of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence technologies, which includes the stages of pre‑design, design, development, evaluation, testing, deployment, use, sale, procurement, operation and decommissioning, and to ensure that they are subject to adequate safeguards and regulations in order to promote a free, open, universal, interoperable, safe, secure, stable, accessible and affordable digital environment for all, Mindful of the impacts that technical standards for new and emerging digital technologies, and their subsequent adoption, can have on the exercise of human rights, and the importance of including a human rights perspective within standard -setting processes and bodies and for them, engaging with and drawing on the expertise of established human rights experts and organizations, to build their human rights expertise, as well as of promoting the transparency, openness and inclusivity of such processes and bodies, _______________ 16 See resolution 70/1. See A/C.2/59/3 and A/60/687. 18 A/HRC/17/31, annex. 17 25-20986 3/10