In the Dominican Republic, the leaders of the Americas are preparing for the Tenth Summit of the Americas, an event that since 1994 has sought to address the challenges and opportunities facing the hemisphere. This year, under the motto "Building a Safe and Sustainable Hemisphere with Shared Prosperity," it is expected that technology and human rights will play a central role.
More than twenty civil society organizations have submitted a document in which they emphasize the growing intersection between digital technology and human rights, even though the topic does not appear clearly in the summit's official documents. Technology, they say, is cross-cutting and permeates all the decisions and policies that will be discussed.
The document identifies four crucial areas: public safety, food security, energy, and water, all impacted by digital technology. Although these technologies offer innovations, they also present significant challenges. For example, artificial intelligence has the potential to improve energy management, but it can also compromise energy security due to its complex infrastructure.
In Latin America, the proposals underscore the urgent need to protect rights in the face of current threats, especially in citizen security. State surveillance, powered by advanced technologies, continues to be a persistent problem, affecting privacy and public trust due to longstanding practices of secrecy.
To counter this, the creation of a Hemispheric Platform for Action for Citizen Security is suggested, incorporating an approach that prioritizes human development and protects rights, especially those of the most vulnerable groups.
The document insists that any advance toward shared prosperity must focus on justice and the well-being of people. Proposes to strengthen the digital civic space and establish safeguards against the rise of state surveillance, aligning with the standards of the Inter-American System of Human Rights.
With this contribution, civil society hopes that the debates at the summit reflect these values and commit to a human rights-centered approach, placing people and their well-being at the center of any technological innovation.
