A Pan African Digital Rights Civil Society Organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has welcome the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) adoption of various regulatory laws relating to digital rights.
This includes the Ordinance-Law N•23/008 of March 10 2023, authorising the ratification by the DRC of the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention), Ordinance-Law N•23/010 of March 13 on the Digital Code in the DRC, which addresses cyber security as well as the adoption at the National Assembly level of Law No. 23/009 of March 13 2023, laying down the modalities for exercising freedom of the press, freedom of information and broadcasting by radio and television, written press or any communication medium in the DRC.
Every year, PIN, and organization that promotes digital rights and inclusion in Africa, publishes the Londa report, taking stock of freedom of expression on the African continent. It has often urged the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to proactively implement legal frameworks and adopt policies that promote human rights online, including freedom of expression and privacy.
Paradigm Initiative applauds the steps taken by the Congolese government to uphold freedom of expression, protection of personal data and privacy through these evolving legislative frameworks. This move supports PIN’s Londa 2021 report which calls on the DRC government to do the following:
- Continue and complete legislative and structural reforms in the press and communications sector by adopting and promulgating the law on access to information in the DRC, and also revise Law No. 96-002 of June 22 1996, defining the modalities relating to the exercise of freedom of the press and anticipating the decriminalisation of press offences.
- Ratify the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention).
- Enact a specific law regarding digital human rights.
While these steps are positive, PIN further calls on the DRC government to pursue structural and institutional reforms to facilitate implementation of laws enacted to protect personal data, privacy, freedom of expression and access to information in the Democratic Republic of Congo.