Registration is now open for the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF 2026), a major global meeting on digital rights and inclusion. The event will take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 14 to 16 April 2026.
DRIF 2026 will be hosted at the Radisson Blu Abidjan Airport Hotel and is expected to bring together hundreds of delegates from around the world. The forum will be bilingual and is the first DRIF event to be held in a Francophone country.
This year’s forum will focus on the theme: “Building Inclusive and Resilient Digital Futures.” The theme responds to fast digital growth, unequal internet access, increased surveillance, shrinking civic space, and reduced funding, especially in the Global South. It builds on the 2025 theme, “Promoting Digital Ubuntu in Approaches to Technology,” which called for cooperation and inclusion in advancing digital rights.
The forum is organised by Paradigm Initiative in partnership with Coalition Ivoirienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CIDDH). Sponsors for the 2026 edition include the Ford Foundation, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Human Rights Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mott Foundation, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Wikimedia Foundation, and individual supporters.
Formerly known as the Internet Freedom Forum (IFF), the event has been held since 2013. Over the years, it has brought together nearly 3,000 participants from more than 70 countries. The first edition in Nigeria hosted just 53 delegates from 30 countries. In 2019, the forum was renamed DRIF to include digital inclusion issues. Recent editions were held in Lusaka (2025), Accra (2024), and Nairobi (2023).
DRIF 2026 will cover key topics such as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, trust and accountability, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, digital inclusion for marginalised groups, digital security, and human rights and freedoms.
This year, Paradigm Initiative received 449 session proposals, an increase from 346 in 2025. The sessions include workshops, day-zero events, tech demonstrations, product launches, lightning talks, and panel discussions. Session organisers are expected to receive feedback on their proposals by 28 February 2026.
Participants at the forum will include representatives from civil society, non-governmental organisations, academia, the media, funding partners, the United Nations, the technical community, governments, and the private sector. Together, they will share experiences and develop strategies that go beyond national borders.
The forum provides a space for open and sometimes difficult discussions on global digital issues. It brings together different voices to shape fair, inclusive, and safe digital futures for everyone, especially in the Global South.
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