The right to development and internet shutdowns: Assessing the role of information and communications technology in democratic development in Africa
The right to development and internet shutdowns: Assessing the role of information and communications technology in democratic development in Africa
Date
2019
Authors
Nyokabi, Deborah Mburu
Diallo, Naa
Ntesang, Nozizwe W.
White, Thomas Kagiso
Ilori, Tomiwa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Global Campus of Human Rights
Abstract
The right to development is generally assessed as an all-inclusive
right. It is regarded as a rallying right in which all other rights are mostly
realised. The progressive nature of the right to development in realising other
rights as a benchmark to a society’s development has become popular even
beyond legal jurisprudence to include other qualitative fields of knowledge. The
role played by information and communications technology in the realisation of
this right has also been acknowledged, particularly in the digital age. However,
this progress has not been even across regions in the world. While some regions
have experienced a fast-paced development due to ICT, several countries in
Africa have been held back due to unfavourable state and non-state policies that
have had negative impacts on human rights and democratic development on the
continent. This article assesses the impact of ICT on the right to development,
particularly as a rallying right, and the way in which the internet, a major
component of ICT, has affected the right. The article especially considers the
effects of network disruptions on human rights and democratic development that
have become rife in the region. This study finds that there have been several
human rights violations through ICT by many state and non-state actors in
Africa. Most importantly, the article finds that these violations impede the right
to development and pose threats to democratic development in the region. A
conclusion is based on these findings and proffers feasible solutions to resolve
the challenges posed by these violations.
Key words: right to development; Africa; information and communication
technology; digital age; internet shutdowns; democratic development
Description
Keywords
right to development,
Africa,
information technology,
communication technology,
internet,
democratisation
Citation
D Mburu Nyokabi, N Diallo, NW Ntesang, TK White & T Ilori ‘The right to development and internet
shutdowns: Assessing the role of information and communications technology in democratic development in Africa’ (2019) 3 Global Campus Human Rights Journal 147-172 http://dx.doi.org/10.25330/485