Event information

24 June 2022, 13:00-15:00

Downloads

Flyer >

Smart Cities and Human Rights – Pitfalls and Opportunities

Event

A crossing A crossing

The explosion in digital technologies is playing a major role in shaping cities – from Internet of Things (IoT) to digital platforms for service delivery and 5G for autonomous mobility. The challenge is now to set a responsible direction that favors inclusive, resilient and sustainable use of technologies by local governments.

These technologies, if governed responsibly, can contribute to sustainable development. Yet, in the absence of public oversight and accountability in line with international human rights standards, data on individuals and communities are being extensively recorded, often by private companies, raising concerns around privacy, surveillance, and participation of stakeholders.

Taking into consideration the human rights deliverables under the United Nations (UN) Secretary’s Call for Action, the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, we need to ensure rights-respecting ecosystem of smart city projects.

This event – co-organized with the Geneva Cities Hub, the University of St-Gallen and Chile Ministry of Foreign Affairs – aims to identify good practices of smart city projects in Chile and Switzerland to realize human rights and recommending measures that could be envisaged more generally by the UN Human Rights Council and other intergovernmental bodies.

Keynote Address

  • Sami Kanaan, Deputy Mayor of Geneva and President, Geneva Cities Hub
  • Claudia Fuentes Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile to the Unites Nations Office in Geneva

Moderation

  • Andràs Szörényi, Senior Policy Advisor, Geneva Cities Hub

Speakers

  • Radka Sibille, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations Office in Geneva
  • Alberto Coddou, Professor, Universidad Austral de Chile
  • Isabel Ebert, University of St. Gallen, Adviser OHCHR B-Tech Project

Video

Smart cities and human rights – Pitfalls and opportunities

This event – co-organized with the Geneva Cities Hub, the University of St-Gallen and Chile Ministry of Foreign Affairs – aimed to identify good practices of smart city projects in Chile and Switzerland to realize human rights and recommended measures that could be envisaged more generally by the UN Human Rights Council and other intergovernmental bodies.