This stakeholder report focuses on key issues relating to human rights in the digital context in Namibia, including digital connectivity and inclusion, freedom of speech and expression online and online disinformation, right to privacy, data protection, surveillance and cybersecurity and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
This review marks the fourth cycle for Namibia in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. During the third cycle, Namibia received six recommendations related to these issues, including one related to data protection and the right to privacy, one addressing the need for digital rights, two on protecting freedom of expression and safeguarding journalists from attacks, one on access to information and one on hate crime legislation.1 Namibia received over 30 recommendations on strengthening mechanisms to combat gender-based violence, with five of these referring to “all forms” of gender-based violence. However, none of the recommendations expressly addressed the issue of TFGBV.