A/HRC/43/29 development process – which can accelerate the pace of the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights. For example, the availability of cheaper mobile communication technologies has enabled some developing countries, notably in Africa, to skip the development of analogue landline infrastructure and move directly to digital mobile telecommunications, enabling people living in rural areas to access a range of information and services.3 6. New technologies can also support States’ efforts to promote the right to participation and access to information and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public decision-making, with a view to maximizing the use of available resources for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. For example, during a typhoid outbreak in Uganda in 2015, the Ministry of Health used data visualization and interactive mapping techniques to support the early response to the disease outbreak. By providing the ability to explore real-time data at multiple levels of detail, authorities were able to plan resource allocation effectively, including for medical supplies, medical personnel and training. 4 In short, these technologies hold great potential for advancing the collective good of humanity. 7. At the same time, new technologies also pose significant risks, including with respect to the protection of human rights, that are often unintended by-products of scientific and technological advancement. Algorithms often reflect and reproduce existing biases. Social media can easily be misused to spread hatred. The collection and processing of a large amount of personal data without due consideration for the right to privacy has significant implications for the enjoyment of rights more generally. 8. Given the cross-cutting benefits and risks of new technologies for all human rights as highlighted above, the focus of the following sections is on the potential impact of new technologies on several key economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the potential of digital identification and financial technology for promoting greater inclusion. A. Right to education 9. Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights (E/C.12/1999/10, para. 1). Education is key for lifting people out of poverty, empowering women, safeguarding children and protecting the environment. Education and learning are critical in preparing countries and their people for changes resulting from the accelerated development and spread of technological innovations, in order to maximize their benefits while minimizing the potential risks. 10. New technologies have greatly expanded access to education and learning opportunities, making it easier for teachers to create instructional materials and enabling new ways for people to learn and work together. Online education materials and courses, digitized textbooks and e-learning modules are revolutionizing the provision of education, including for those with disabilities. Open online courses provide an alternative path to higher education. At the same time, this transformation is placing new demands on people in terms of the knowledge and skills that they need to acquire throughout their lives. 11. Advancement in new technologies brings challenges in terms of availability and accessibility of the right to education, particularly for poor and the most marginalized people. Access to educational content and opportunities disseminated by digital means requires physical infrastructure and economic means. People living in urban areas generally enjoy better and cheaper access to electricity, broadband Internet connection and economic means to acquire devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones, while those in remote rural areas are often relegated to using relatively outdated technologies. 3 4 Technology and Innovation Report 2018: Harnessing Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.18.II.D.3), pp. 84–85. United Nations, Global Pulse, “Data visualisation and interactive mapping to support response to disease outbreak”, Global Pulse Project Series, No. 20, 2015. 3