In the framework of the 9th Latin American and Caribbean Conference of Social Sciences (CLACSO), on 9 June 2022, the EU-LAC Foundation, together with the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), organised in Mexico City the forum "Digitalisation: social appropriation and public policies from an ethical and rights perspective".
The forum aimed to address different aspects of the relationship between digitalisation and the various levels of social life permeated by digital technologies. The purpose of the forum was to encourage reflections and proposals regarding enhanced bi-regional cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union aimed at the incorporation and management of digital technologies from an ethical, social cohesion and rights perspective, adopting the principles established by the United Nations SDGs and the recent UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
Through the interventions and presentations of the panelists from Latin America and Europe, and the dialogue with the audience at the recent Forum, it was possible to articulate the risks and concerns associated with the digitization of different spheres of human life.
Specifically, in terms of gaps and exclusions, it was noted the limitation of democratic spaces, the expansion of symbolic and cultural hegemonies, and human rights violations. At the same time, it was highlighted the potential of technological appropriation, the opening of new spaces for access to education, mobilisation, the denunciation of human rights violations, and the transformation of public and democratic spaces. Critical analyses and the presentation of the results of scientific studies led to important reflections on necessary legal and regulatory frameworks, ethical criteria and options for action for both civil society and decision-makers at national, transnational and international levels, which deserve to be deepened in future analyses and spaces for dialogue.