,,iv  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #gfh  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,decemb] #ag1         
#bjai,ms4 ,bass 7= h]self & ,mr4 ,smi? (
 ,new ,j]sey7 submitt$ ! foll[+         
resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee
 on ,=eign ,affairs  ,,resolution       
,call+ on ,african gov]nm5ts to protect 
& promote human rights ?r\gh int]net    
fre$om & digital integration = all      
citiz5s across ! cont95t ( ,africa4     
,:]eas access to in=mation & fre$om (   
expression are pill>s ( an op51 free1 & 
democratic society2 ,:]eas op5 & secure 
access to ! int]net enables ! ex]cise ( 
human rights & fre$om ( expression1     
all[+ p to connect1 access in=mation1 & 
p>ticipate 9 a global society2 ,:]eas   
accord+ to ,access ,n[1 !re 7 #ba       
in/ances ( p>tial or total int]net      
%utd[ns 9 ,africa 9 #bjah1 comp>$ ) only
 #d 9 #bjaf2 ,:]eas gov]nm5ts1 includ+  
^? ( ,*ad1 ,cam]oon1 ,e?iopia1 ,ug&a1   
,sudan1 & ,zimbabwe1 h re/rict$ access  
to ! int]net & disrupt$ networks1 onl9e 

applications1 & s]vices to c5sor &      
int]f]e ) ! fl[ ( in=mation dur+        
politically s5sitive mom5ts1 includ+    
elections1 political prote/s1 & mass    
demon/rations1 :5 unfett]$ j\rnalism1   
public ov]sight1 & political            
p>ticipation are crucial to bol/]       
democratic processes & ! rule ( law2    
,:]eas gov]nm5ts (t5 attempt to ju/ify  
p>tial or total int]net %utd[ns =       
purposes ( security or to /op ! spread (
 false in=mation2 ,:]eas ! frequ5cy (   
int]net %utd[ns has increas$ across     
,africa1 levy+ broad economic co/s &    
directly violat+ citiz5s rights to      
fre$om ( expression & access to         
in=mation2 ,:]eas ,african :i/lebl[]s1  
j\rnali/s1 blogg]s1 & o!r m$ia work]s   
(t5 lack legal protection & suff]       
h>assm5t & det5tion at ! h&s ( gov]nm5t 
au?orities1 (t5 facilitat$ by invasive &
 unau?oriz$ surveillance1 ) !           
enc\ragem5t1 te*nical exp]tise1 &       
f9ancial support ( =eign entities &     
gov]nm5ts2 ,:]eas "s ,african gov]nm5ts 

h introduc$ taxes to disc\rage citiz5s f
 %>+ & access+ in=mation 9 ! digital    
space1 & h impos$ laws & regulations t  
(t5 t>get j\rnali/s1 blogg]s1 activi/s1 
& o!rs1 bann+ spee* & disc\rag+         
expression 9 ! digital space2 ,:]eas ^? 
op]at+ indep5d5t news websites & blogs  
are ob/ruct$ ?r\gh block+ & c5sor%ip1   
burd5some lic5s+ requirem5ts1 &         
regulatory measures t effectively limit 
_! audi5ce & _! livelihoods2 ,:]eas _m  
,african gov]nm5ts lack robu/ data      
protection & privacy laws1 & ! sy/ems to
 implem5t su* laws1 leav+ ! privacy (   
citiz5s expos$ & susceptible to         
infr+em5t2 ,:]eas ! ,communi/ gov]nm5t 9
 ,*9a1 ?r\gh ! desire to build a digital
 ,silk ,road1 has increas$ cyb] activity
 9 ,africa ?r\gh telecommunications     
contracts & fib] optic networks :i* c   
expose individuals to great] monitor+ & 
surveillance1 & has export$ te*nology & 
tra9+ to au?orit>ian (ficials t h made x
 easi] to re/rict int]net access 9 _m   
,african c\ntries2 ,:]eas ,huawei       

,te*nologies has report$ly sold products
 & s]vices to ,african gov]nm5ts t h be5
 us$ to support spy+ on political       
oppon5ts2 & ,:]eas ,russia has be5 te/+ 
new dis9=mation te*niques & tactics     
?r\gh a s]ies ( onl9e networks l9k$ to  
,yevg5y ,prigozh91 a ,russian olig>*    
indict$ by ! ,unit$ ,/ates = m$dl+ 9 !  
,unit$ ,/ates ,presid5tial election 9   
#bjaf1 9 ,african c\ntries t include    
,sudan1 ,cam]oon1 ,libya1 & ,mozambique3
 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x  ,t ! ,h\se (         
,repres5tatives-- 7#a7 /rongly condemns 
! re/riction or disruption ( ! int]net  
?r\gh me?ods includ+ network %utd[ns1   
disruptions1 use ( kill swit*es1 b&wid? 
?rottl+1 high taxes1 & ! block+ (       
applications & s]vices across ,africa1 &
 any ef=ts by =eign gov]nm5ts to        
facilitate su* activity2  7#b7 urges    
,african gov]nm5ts to-- 7,a7 promote    
inclusive & mean+ful p>ticipation by all
 /akehold]s 9 ! developm5t ( policies on
 telecommunications1 int]net gov]nance1 
in=mation & communications te*nologies1 

& infra/ructure2  7,b7 prev5t ! use (   
broad & invasive surveillance           
te*nologies t violate privacy &         
disc\rage ! fre$om ( expression ( all   
us]s1 p>ticul>ly j\rnali/s1 blogg]s1 &  
_! s\rces1 & to ensure acc\ntability =  
crimes aga9/ !m2  7,c7 actively pursue  
laws & policies t protect & promote     
human rights onl9e & (fl9e & review laws
 t crim9alize free spee* t are us$ to   
h>ass & prosecute ^? :o (f] diss5t+     
views & in=mation2  7,d7 resi/ new      
contracts ) au?orit>ian /ates1 l ,*9a1 &
 avoid digital gov]nance models t enable
 te*noau?orit>ianism & invasive         
surveillance capabilities t und]m9e     
human rights & re/rict fundam5tal       
fre$oms2 &  7,e7 "w closely ) te*nology 
companies & social m$ia s]vices to      
prev5t or take d[n dis9=mation1 includ+ 
dis9=mation dissem9at$ by ,russia & o!r 
actors2  7#c7 urges telecommunications  
provid]s & int]net plat=ms to employ    
legal1 op]ational1 & te*nical measures  
to promote & facilitate ! ex]cise (     

human rights onl9e1 & disclose reque/s f
 gov]nm5ts or o!r p>ties to h& ov] us]  
data & to disrupt networks1 & _!        
responses !reto2  7#d7 urges bus9esses  
op]at+ 9 ,africa to facilitate op5 &    
secure access to ! int]net1 & "w )      
/akehold]s to prev5t1 mitigate1 & rem$y 
h>ms f int]net %utd[ns & o!r disruptions
 to ! free fl[ ( in=mation onl9e2 &     
7#e7 urges bus9esses op]at+ 9 ,africa to
 affirm ! ,unit$ ,nations ,guid+        
,pr9ciples on ,bus9ess & ,human ,rights1
 & adh]e to be/ practices1 scrut9iz+    
gov]nm5t or o!r ?ird-p>ty reque/s to    
int]f]e ) networks1 applications1       
s]vices1 & p]sonal data = any pot5tial  
human rights impacts4