The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) has launched a set of “Rights-Respecting Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Principles, developed and signed by 26 of its members and its only Observer, which seek to advance the knowledge and understanding of frameworks for human rights-respecting, resilient, safe, inclusive, and interoperable digital public infrastructure.
Ms Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, announced the launch of the Principles at the 2025 FOC Ministerial Meeting held on October 9, under the theme: “Building a Digitally Inclusive Future for All,” on the margins of the Tallinn Digital Summit (TDS) in Estonia.
The Principles set out a shared commitment to advance knowledge and understanding of frameworks for human rights-respecting, resilient, safe, inclusive, and interoperable digital public infrastructure and are aimed at promoting inclusive connectivity and civic participation while addressing potential risks related to exclusion, discrimination, surveillance, and privacy.
They were endorsed by the FOC’s only observer, Taiwan, and 26 FOC members, including Austria, Australia, Armenia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, and Germany.
Other signatories to the Principles are Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The Principles draw on global best practices and frameworks, including the Universal DPI Safeguards and GovStack principles, and outline 12 key areas that can help ensure DPI systems are designed and deployed responsibly and in alignment with international human rights law and standards.
The 12 areas include human rights-based solutions, inclusivity, international human rights law, transparency and accountability, privacy and security, societal context, sustainability and resilience, evidence-based decision-making, interoperability, technology neutrality, openness, and multistakeholder collaboration.
The development of the Principles was informed by a year-long consultative process that began with a public call for input and continued through discussions and regional dialogues held across multiple regional and global forums, including RightsCon in Taiwan, the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Zambia, EuroDig in France, the Yerevan Dialogue in Armenia, the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Norway, and the Latin American (LatAm) Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference in Brazil.
The FOC said these engagements brought together perspectives from governments, civil society, academia, technical community, and the private sector to help shape the Principles.
Across the public consultation and regional dialogues, participants called for a “do no harm”, human-centred, and rights-based approach to digital transformation that responds to real societal needs rather than treating digitalisation as an end in itself.
The inputs stressed the importance of ensuring inclusivity, including for those unable to interact digitally, and embedding transparency, accountability, and redress mechanisms throughout the DPI lifecycle.
Contributors highlighted the need for governance for public benefit, stronger data-governance and privacy safeguards, and independent oversight to build trust.
They also emphasised aligning DPI with sustainable development goals, promoting interoperability that respects human rights, and investing in digital literacy and capacity-building.
The regional consultations further stressed that effective DPI requires participation, co-creation, and measurable outcomes, supported by global cooperation and adaptable frameworks to ensure that principles translate into practice.
Download the full Principles here.
