CO-Strengthening CSOs in Digital Multila The action has two groups of final beneficiaries: first, are the societies writ-large in the 10 focus countries with a combined population of approximately 282 million, of whom 127 million are currently active internet users. Vulnerable community membersin these countries have limited access to resources and infrastructure for digital engagement, low digital literacy, limited knowledge of digital rights (specifically for girls/women due to gender stereotypes on technology) and lack influence on the processes that govern and form the digital rights ecosystem. The second group of final beneficiaries are the International Human Rights Organizations (i.e., OAS and UN), cooperation agencies, and regional/international digital forums. Many of the entities in the latter group strive to protect and preserve human rights offline and online, but often lack genuine insight, input and participation from the most vulnerable and at-risk populations when forming agendas and attempting to influence the digital ecosystem. As a result, the grassroots representatives of the 10 countries (CSOs, digital activists/human rights defenders, community members etc.) are among the least-heard in the national and international fora where decisions about the future of our shared digital ecosystems are made, and the rules <(>&<)> guardrails governing emerging technology innovations are agreed. The action will address this by increasing the collaboration between the ‘Global South’ and ‘Global North’ and amplifying the voices of community members in the 10 focus countries in the spaces andprocesses that seek to shape a rights-respecting digital ecosystem.
The action will reach five target groups.  1) Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), 2.) Civic Activists and Human Rights Defenders, 3.) Communities and Civil Society Representatives/Members, 4.) Tech Companies and 5.) Government Authorities.
The action will target CSOs from the 10 different countries that represent at risk communities and include a cross-section of civil society actors including: digital advocacy groups, grassroots NGOs, think tanks, digital associations, religious groups and national NGO networks. Many of these CSOs lack the resources and infrastructure necessary to effectively engage in the digital arena, preventing themfrom using technology to promote their causes and reach a broader audience. They lack digital literacy and have limited digital services and a poor digital infrastructure, especially in rural settings. This leads to rural or isolated communities with either expensive low-quality internet (through smartphones) or no internet coverage at all.The use of digital technologies by CSOs also raises security and privacy concerns, with many organizations facing the risk of cyber-attacks and online harassment.
The second target group consists of Civic Activists and Human Rights Defenders. This target group, often including students and journalists, comprises the individual champions that work on raising awareness on human rights and digital rights, protecting andadvocating for the rights of their communities they serve.  This target group acts as a key conduit contributing policy inputs in relation to digital rights policy implementation from CSOs and communities’ perspective. They work alongside CSOs and at times within them, but also as free-lance activists in their own space. As this group is often seen to be challenging power structures by attempting to democratize decision making processes and promoting human rights online and offline, they are frequently the most targeted by cyberattacks, digital surveillance, harassment and intimidation.
The third target group contains Communities and Civil Society Representatives/Members.  This group is comprised of grassroots NGO workers, academy members, students, journalists, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as: women, youth, persons with disabilities (particularly those with sight impairments who are particularly impacted by the digital divide), and LGBTQIA+ community members. In general, this target group has the greatest need in terms of bridging the gap of ‘digital divide’, building digital literacy and awareness of digital rights.