Our Advocacy Statements

IT for Change's Response to the OSET's AI Opportunity Scan

2024

In August 2024, IT for Change responded to the Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology's AI Opportunity Scan. The scan was meant to gather respondents' expectations for AI’s positive impact in terms of scientific breakthroughs, economic activities and the SDGs. The survey asked only about possible positive implications of AI.…

Briefing for the OHCHR Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

2024

On September 26, 2024, IT for Change and FIAN International organized a briefing for the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights on the implications of digitalization on these rights. We invited our partners Third World Network, TNI, Medicus Mundi and GI-ESCR.

We helped provide an overview of the imperative of acting to…

IT for Change's Comments on UNESCO's Consultation Papaer on AI Regulation

2024

On behalf of IT for Change, Merrin Muhammed Ashraf submitted comments on the recently released UNESCO Consultation Paper on Regulatory Approaches for Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Consultation Paper is part of a broader effort by UNESCO, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Internet Governance Forum’s Parliamentary Track to engage…

Comments on the draft Karnataka Platform based Gig Workers Bill, 2024

2023

Workers in India's platform economy have been working in gruelling conditions for several years, in the absence of fundamental labor rights, such as access to welfare, redressal for occupational harms, and the right to collective bargaining. Simultaneously, the platform economy has also created new frontiers in the fight for decent work,…

Input at the Virtual Consultation on Rev. 3 of the Global Digital Compact

2024

IT for Change's Merrin Muhammed Ashraf participated in the virtual consultation convened by the co-facilitators of the Global Digital Compact on 22 August 2024 and delivered a statement on Rev 3.0 GDC on behalf of IT for Change and the Global Digital Justice Forum. The statement flagged some critical gaps in the text of the GDC which must be…

Statement by the People’s Working Group on Multistakeholderism on the draft text of the Pact for the Future

2024

Peoples Working Group on Multistakeholderism, of which IT for Change is a part, submitted a written statement to the Co-facilitators of the Summit of the Future processes that conveyed its disappointment with the draft text for the Pact for the Future for failing to fix the trust deficit about the UN. To avoid a ‘League of Nations’ moment for…

Global Digital Justice Forum’s Input to Rev 2 of Pact for the Future

2024

IT for Change, through the Global Digital Justice Forum, submitted its input to the Co-Facilitators of the Summit of the Future on Rev 2 of the Pact for the Future. In its submission, the Forum flagged four critical areas where Rev 2 needs to intensify concrete commitments:

Remove intellectual property (IP) rights barriers that impede the…

GDJ Forum & IT for Change’s Statement — Feedback on the Zero Draft of the Pact for the Future with MGoS & Civil Society Representatives

2024

On 21 February 2024, Shreeja Sen represented IT for Change and the Global Digital Justice Forum at a virtual consultation, seeking feedback on the Zero draft of the Pact for the Future, which was launched on 26 January 2024. In line with the written submissions, Shreeja's inputs emphasized that digitalization is ubiquitous across sectors, and…

IT for Change’s Involvement with the T20 Engagement Group of G20 Brazil 2024

2024

IT for Change played an active role in the T20 engagement group of G20 Brazil 2024, promoting a digital paradigm that emphasizes justice, fairness, and equity in June 2024. Below, you will find detailed information about the various aspects of our participation.

Leadership Role

Our Executive Director, Anita Gurumurthy, has been…

Advancing Health Data Governance for Societal Well-being: A Perspective on Health Digital Common Goods for the G20

2024

The apt use of data for health policies and innovation can enhance access and outcomes. However, the prevalent trend of exploiting personal data collected through digital technologies as economic assets poses risks of surveillance, discrimination, and exploitation.

This policy brief submitted to the T20, anchored by Idec, Brasil and co-…