VIENNA, 8 November 2019 – Technological developments enabled by digitalization and their implications for all aspects of security, including the human dimension, were addressed today at the OSCE Security Days event by Stefana Miladinovic (MP, Serbia), OSCE PA Special Rapporteur on Digital Agenda.

Stefana Miladinovic, OSCE PA Special Rapporteur on Digital Agenda, addresses Security Days event in Vienna, 8 November 2019In her intervention as a panelist at the Session on “Technology for Security,” Miladinovic highlighted that new technological tools have made life for citizens much easier and have provided them with opportunities for a more active participation in public life. Digitalization has also offered us innovative instruments for fighting against human rights violations, she said.

Security risks brought by the digital transformation should not be underestimated, she said. “As members of parliament and of the international community, we need to keep these issues at the top of our agenda. We shall encourage and propose legislation that supports participating states in addressing the risks produced by digitalization,” said Miladinovic. “In developing new policies and legislation, we should also verify that they are respectful of fundamental freedoms. In this regard, co-operation with the OSCE, the private sector and civil society is crucial.”

The OSCE Security Day on “A Human Rights-Centred Approach to Technology and Security” took place in Vienna on 8 November, bringing together representatives from International Institutions, diplomacy, academia, civil society, media and politics to examine risks inherent in the development and use of new technologies, share best practices and consider how participating States can implement a gender-sensitive and human rights-centred approach to addressing this topic.

As part of her visit to Vienna, Special Rapporteur Miladinovic also held bilateral meetings at the OSCE Secretariat on Thursday with Amb. Vuk Zugic, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and the OSCE Gender Section. Exchanges focused on identifying avenues for future co-operation and on the implementation of the resolution on “Digitalization as an Advantage for Gender Policies,” adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly at the Luxembourg Annual Session.

For more information on Miladinovic's work as Special Rapporteur on Digital Agenda, please click here.