The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an international mechanism for reviewing the human rights situation in Paraguay. It is reviewed by a UN working group that studies reports submitted by civil society organizations within this framework. This United Nations instrument subjects the country to a review every four years. Within this framework, Paraguay will be held accountable for the fourth time at the 52nd session of the working group. This is the third time that TEDIC has submitted reports to this international system.
In 2015, TEDIC presented a report on the state of privacy rights alongside Privacy International (PI) from the UK, and several recommendations were made to states regarding transparency in the use of surveillance technology. In 2020, TEDIC presented three reports alongside PI and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), and accompanied the CODEHUPY report.
This year, TEDIC once again participated in Paraguay’s UPR. On this occasion, three shadow reports were presented that focus on the intersections between human rights and technology in the country, renewing its commitment to transparency, accountability, and civil society participation.
The first report addresses the situation of privacy and communications surveillance in Paraguay. It follows up on recommendations made 10 years ago and shows how the authorities have failed to comply with their international obligations regarding personal data protection. The document warns about the persistence of surveillance practices without judicial oversight, the absence of a comprehensive personal data protection law, and the risks this poses to fundamental freedoms.
The second report was prepared jointly by TEDIC, APC, and Derechos Digitales Latinoamérica. This collective work examines technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the digital divide, and inequalities in meaningful access to the internet. It also analyzes the cybersecurity conditions of human rights defenders and journalists, who face increasing threats in digital environments. The report seeks to highlight how structural inequalities are reproduced in the digital space and proposes concrete measures to build a more just and secure Internet.
The third report was prepared in collaboration with Article 19 and focuses on freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest in Paraguay. This document warns about the misrepresentation of regulations protecting women, which in some cases are used to restrict journalistic work and limit coverage of issues of public interest. It also denounces practices of cyber policing, surveillance on social media, and the criminalization of peaceful demonstrations, factors that weaken democracy and pluralistic debate in the country.
The three reports highlight a worrying pattern: the closure of civic space and growing restrictions on civil society participation in democratic and legislative processes. These trends limit the possibility of developing inclusive, human rights-based public policies, directly affecting the quality of democracy in the country.
As a next step, TEDIC is coordinating actions at the national level with other organizations that also submitted reports under the UPR, with the aim of preparing executive summaries that will be delivered to the States responsible for reviewing Paraguay in the area of human rights protection and promotion. Subsequently, a series of meetings with these States is planned in Geneva in April 2026, prior to the working group that will take place in May of the same year.
This publication has been funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of TEDIC and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Access to justice in the digital Age: Our contributions to the IACHR