SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE
56
International organizations should:
•
Identify and isolate the core group of repeat
offenders, holding them accountable for
violating international law using all diplomatic,
economic, and legal measures available;
•
Strengthen
norms
through
continuing
resolutions at all levels of the UN system,
including the UN Security Council, as well as
international and regional treaty bodies;
•
Enforce existing resolutions on internet
shutdowns to the greatest extent possible;
•
For international courts and treaty bodies, where
relevant, include shutdowns in evaluation of
cases and allow individual and collective claims
for redress; and
•
Consider the digital dimension of threats, harm,
and violence in developing the Draft articles on
Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against
Humanity under discussion at the United
Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee.319
Civil society should:
•
Join the #KeepItOn coalition;320
•
Reach out to the #KeepItOn coalition for
support from the network in your advocacy
against internet shutdowns;321
•
Continue to collaborate in investigations,
including through witness and victim
support, and digital evidence collection
and preservation, and include the digital
dimension of harm when documenting
human rights violations;
•
Reach out to Access Now’s Digital Security
Helpline for direct assistance with digital
safety or circumventing shutdowns;322 and
•
Consider sharing shutdown impact stories
with the #KeepItOn coalition to strengthen
advocacy against shutdowns.323
319 International Law Commission (2019). Draft articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity.
https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/draft_articles/7_7_2019.pdf; General Assembly of the United Nations. Sixth
Committee (Legal). https://www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/
320
Access Now. #KeepItOn: Add Your Organization. https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/keepiton/#coalition
321 See, e.g., Access Now (2021). Advocating to #KeepItOn during elections: what you can do. https://infogram.com/
advocating-to-keepiton-during-elections-1h7k230351vkv2x?live
322
323
Access Now. Digital Security Helpline. https://www.accessnow.org/help/
Access Now. #KeepItOn: Share Your Story. https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/keepiton/#take-action