Framing Ethical e-Governance: A Plaidoyer for a Human-Rights based Digital Democracy Approach

As digital platforms increasingly influence public policy and governance, integrating human rights into digital tools becomes crucial for maintaining transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.

The proposed framework focuses on ethical design principles, participatory governance models, accountability mechanisms, capacity building, and continuous evaluation to ensure that digital tools promote public participation and safeguard individual rights.

The implementation of the proposed human-rights based approach involves developing ethical artificial intelligence (AI) guidelines, institutionalising public consultation platforms, creating independent oversight bodies, and establishing educational programs to enhance digital literacy. This paper highlights the significant advantages of a human-rights based approach, including enhanced trust and legitimacy in digital governance, improved inclusivity, and strengthened policy responsiveness.

The authors Evelyne Tauchnitz, and the DepHUB's Shamira Ahmed call for a paradigm shift towards digital governance that prioritizes human dignity, social justice, and sustainable development, ensuring that e-governance solutions empower citizens rather than marginalize them.

The publication is part of the 17th ICEGOV 2024 held in South Africa, and reflects the Conference's mission to advance theory and practice in electronic governance.