"The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms was drafted by African civil society organisations to guide the creation of a positive, rights-based and democratically governed Internet policy environment in Africa. The initiative is part of a rich heritage of freedom of expression advocacy by civil society in Africa and also builds on the continent’s innovative and inclusive approach towards the development of human rights instruments, first pioneered by the drafters of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa. This brief aims to provide an overview of how the Declaration can spur the development of rights-based Internet policy regimes in the region. It is designed primarily for use by African civil society advocates and digital rights defenders who are seeking to engage with the wider Internet policy stakeholder community within their own countries and regions." (Pages 4-5)