Players in digital rights and inclusion have an opportunity to influence and create impact within the sector. This follows the announcement of today’s call for session proposals by Paradigm Initiative (PIN) for the 2026 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF26) taking place from 14th to 16th April 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Forum provides a platform for stakeholders, innovators, policymakers, government representatives, legislators, civil society, non-governmental organisations, academia, the technical community, the media and the private sector to exchange ideas, showcase impactful solutions and drive meaningful change and progress in digital rights and inclusion.
The 2026 theme Building Inclusive and Resilient Digital Futures, builds onto the 2025 theme, “Promoting Digital Ubuntu in Approaches to Technology.”
In 2025, the event featured 122 sessions with delegates from 65 countries across the world being represented at the event. The DRIF 2026 sub-themes are; Digital Security, Trust and Accountability, Data protection, Privacy and Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, Digital Inclusion and Marginalised Groups, Human Rights and Freedoms and Digital and Internet Governance.
Every year, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a leading pan-African non-profit organisation, works in collaboration with partners to bring together representatives from government, non-governmental organisations, academia, media, funding partners, the United Nations, the technical community, and the private sector within the digital ecosystem. The event fosters collaboration across sectors, encouraging input from relevant stakeholders.
Since 2013, PIN and partners have successively held 12 DRIF editions, with 2026 being the 13th Edition. In 2025, DRIF was held in Lusaka, Zambia, attracting 1399 registered attendees and 623 in-person attendees from 66 countries. The 2024 DRIF was held in Accra, Ghana, attracting 1,044 registered attendees and delegates from 61 countries across the world. In 2023, DRIF which was held in Nairobi, Kenya, was attended by 601 participants drawn from 54 countries across the world.
DRIF has grown significantly over the years, evolving into a premier platform for dialogue on digital policy, rights, and inclusion, accommodating views and opinions from civil society, technology companies, government, academia, and other stakeholders.
Link to the call for session proposals can be found here.