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27 March 2025
Authored by Dr Erica Harper and Timo Istace, our recent report, 'Neurotechnology and Human Rights: An Audit of Risks, Regulatory Challenges, and Opportunities' offers a deep dive into the human rights implications of neurotechnology, focusing on both therapeutic and commercial applications. It identifies six critical human rights areas at risk from neurotechnology advancements: discrimination, freedom of thought, privacy, rights within the criminal justice system, mental and bodily integrity, and workplace rights. For each of these, the paper outlines the relevant human rights frameworks, potential impacts, associated risks, and proposes actionable recommendations for governments to safeguard these rights.
Given the complex and rapidly evolving nature of neurotechnology, the authors emphasize the challenges in crafting effective regulatory frameworks. They highlight that while enforceable domestic laws are essential for protecting human rights, states face significant technical and political hurdles in developing such legislation. An arguably more feasible option is the development of non-binding guidance that could serve as a normative baseline for policy development, foster international coordination, and promote consistent approaches to neurotechnology regulation, while still allowing for advancement and innovation.
The paper also addresses ethical concerns, such as the risk of normalizing neuroenhancement and exacerbating ableism. It calls for a proactive approach to ensure neurotechnology does not inadvertently lead to societal harm, including the violation of fundamental rights or the creation of new forms of inequality.
Erica Harper explained, 'As neurotechnology advances, it is crucial that we safeguard human rights by fostering international cooperation and establishing a regulatory framework that ensures innovation does not come at the cost of dignity, autonomy, and equality. To effectively address the risks, policymakers must prioritize the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework that balances innovation with the protection of fundamental human rights, ensuring that technological progress does not undermine individual freedoms and equality.'
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.
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Our recent research brief, Neurodata: Navigating GDPR and AI Act Compliance in the Context of Neurotechnology, examines how effectively GDPR addresses the unique risks posed by neurodata.
ICRC
Co-hosted with the ICRC, this event aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research international humanitarian law, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates.
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The event, as part of the AI for Good Summit 2025 will explore how AI tools can support faster data analysis, help uncover patterns in large datasets, and expand the reach of human rights work.
This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.
ICRC
Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.
The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributes to this review process by providing expert input via different avenues, by facilitating dialogue on the review among various stakeholders, as well as by accompanying the development of a follow-up resolution to 68/268 in New York and in Geneva.
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This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy