Read time: 2 mins
Date and time: 14 April 2026, 10:00-16:30 CET.
Event type: Hybrid (onsite and online).
Event venue: Rue de la Loi 51, 1040, Brussels (room 1/45).
Organised by the European Commission, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Supported by the EU-funded projects StandICT.eu ,INSTAR and InDiCo Global
The seminar follows the workshop organised at WTSA-24 on “How can ICT standards ensure that human rights are upheld in the era of new and emerging technologies, and it is one of the actions proposed in the contribution from the EU Member States and the European Commission to TSAG 2025.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, emerging technologies are revolutionizing our world, creating significant opportunities for innovation and societal progress, but also raising complex challenges that impact human rights. As these technologies - including artificial intelligence, metaverse, and 5G/6G - become more embedded in everyday life, it is critical to ensure that human integrity, dignity, and rights are upheld.
Human Rights are defined by regulators, and compiled in Conventions, Declarations and different legal texts. This workshop seeks to explore the role that ICT standards, which are crucial on the implementation of products, services and applications relying on the rise of new technologies, can play to preserve human rights in a connected digital world.
The discussions will focus on the role of technical standards in ensuring that these technologies are developed and deployed in ways that are consistent with human rights, including privacy, data protection, non-discrimination, access to impartial information or even right to work.
This event highlights the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together diverse perspectives from governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society and standards development organizations. Collaboration among these groups is vital to ensure the understanding of what is practically needed and meant to develop safe and trustworthy standard-setting processes.
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Agenda
The event will feature several panels and speakers addressing the intersection between human rights and ICT standards. Stay tuned as we consolidate the event programme.
Speakers:
Cynthia Leungo Lesufi
Cynthia Leungo Lesufi is a policy and regulatory development manager with over 15 years of experience in the ICT sector. A Minister Counsellor at the South African Mission to the UN ITU Office, she contributes to digital policy, stakeholder engagement, and international cooperation on emerging technologies and ICT governance
Minister Counsellor , South African Mission to the UN Office and other International Organisations
Chaiperson , ITU Council Working Group WSIS& SDGs
Marek Janovský
Diplomat , Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations
Michel Roberto Oliveira De Souza
Human Rights Officer , Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Olivier Alais
Program Coordinator , ITU-T
Moderators:
Silvana Muscella
CEO , Trust-IT Services
Speakers:
Chiara Giovannini
Deputy Director General , ANEC
David Reichel
Head of Data and Digital Sector , European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Elisabeth Staudegger
Professor and Head of Department , University of Graz
Juan-Pablo Peñarrubia Carrión
Juan-Pablo Peñarrubia is researcher at University of Valencia focused in ethics and digital citizenship. Expert in different Spanish, European ang global standardization committees: ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 42 Artificial Intelligence, ISO/IEC JTC 1/WG 13 Trustworthiness, CEN-CLC/Strategic Advisory Group ICT Standardization, CEN/CLC JTC 21 Artificial intelligence, CEN TC 428 ICT Professionalism and Digital Competences, etc. With experience in multple stardardization initiatives related to human rights, ethics and social concerns.
Vice-President , Spanish General Council of Informatics Engineering
Expert , ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 42 Artificial Intelligence
Mònica Cerdán Chiscano
Monica Cerdan Chiscano is a researcher and associate professor at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), specialising in inclusive digital and social inclusion, autism, and trustworthy AI. Her current work in StandICT.eu focuses on cognitive accessibility metrics, human oversight, and neurodiversity-sensitive approaches to AI standardisation and governance.
StandICT.eu Fellow , Doctor of Business Administration- Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Patricia Shaw
Liaison to CEN/CENELEC JTC21 , Equinet, European Network of Equality Bodies
Raquel Renno Nunes
Member , Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network
Senior Digital Programme Officer , Article 19
Shakira Bedoya Sanchez
Expert , ISO
Moderators:
Raquel Renno Nunes
Member , Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network
Senior Digital Programme Officer , Article 19
Speakers:
Arnaud Taddei
Global Security Strategist , Broadcom
Chair , ITU-T SG17
Clara Neppel
Senior Director European Business Operations , IEEE
Gyu Myoung Lee
Professor , Liverpool John Moores University
Co-Chair , ITU-T SG13 (Future networks and Cloud)
Jochen Friedrich
Member of the Board , ETSI
Technical Relations Executive , IBM
Nelleke Groen
AI governance consultant , Netherlands Organisation for Development, Digitalisation and Innovation
NEN
Patricia Martell Gamarra
Patricia Martell is a senior consultant with 20 years of experience in international standards, including ISO and ICT. She has supported organizations across Latin America in the implementation of management systems and audits, strengthening compliance, risk management, and the application of structured approaches to managing operational and organizational challenges.
Standardisation Expert
Simone Onofri
Simone Onofri is W3C Security Lead at W3C, contributing to secure Web standards through threat modeling, stakeholder engagement, and consensus-building. He has over 20 years of experience in web security, with significant work in digital identity, and is a joint doctoral candidate in Commercial Diplomacy at GIOYA HEI and UPEACE.
Senior Principal Security Specialist , W3C
Moderators:
Jochen Friedrich
Member of the Board , ETSI
Technical Relations Executive , IBM
Speakers:
Beatriz Gonçalves Crisóstomo Esteves
IMEC Postdoctoral Researcher , Ghent University
Emilio Davila
Head of ICT Standardisation sector , European Commission, DG CNECT
Florian Feillet
European Affairs Manager , Orange’s Brussels office
Chair of the Sustainability Working Group , Connect Europe
Gregorio Pellegrino
Chief Accessibility Officer , Fondazione LIA - Accessible Italian Books Foundation
Ilaria Mariani
Researcher , Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano
Lorraine Finlay
Human Rights Commissioner , Australian Human Rights Commission
Sandra Feliciano
Chair , ETSI CYBER-EUSR
Liaison & Delegate , ISO
Moderators:
Silvana Muscella
CEO , Trust-IT Services
Speakers:
Aleksandra Orr
Career Diplomat , Permanent Mission of Poland to UN Office in Geneva