Moxii Africa (formerly Media Monitoring Africa or MMA) welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in response to the call for input on the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the digital age.

Moxii Africa is concerned about the current climate, both online and offline, that threatens the work of HRDs. At the launch of our Safeguarding the Frontlines: A Digital Security Toolkit for Activists and Human Rights Defenders, it was clear that being attacked online was the norm, not the exception, and equally striking was how despite the prevalence of this issue, solutions are under supported, resource intensive and limited, making the impact greater.

We remain committed to supporting actors at the international, regional, and domestic law levels in navigating appropriate strategies to counter these attacks and create safer conditions for HRDs. We hope that these submissions provide useful guidance to the OHCHR in preparing the report. We are available to provide information if needed.

Read the complete submission below.