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Author	Mr Disheng Mu
Organisation/Institution	Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Koguan School of Law
Country	CHINA
Panel	Human Rights
Title	New Horizons of Human Rights in Digital Civilization: On the Right to Digital Development in the Global Digital Compact
Abstract	This paper examines the right to digital development as an emerging human right within the framework of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). It argues that the GDC establishes a universal normative basis for human rights in the digital age, with the right to digital development occupying a pivotal position. This right is characterized by its indirect relationship to existing digital rights and its role as a strategic extension toward potential future rights. The analysis elaborates on this right through three subsidiary components: the right to access, the right to use, and the right to benefit. These are conceptually framed within the GDC's textual logic as dimensions of "rights-empowerment," "capacity-building," and "benefit-sharing." Ultimately, the article contends that the globalization and normalization of the right to digital development signify a proactive shift in the "VUCA era," moving global governance from bridging digital divides and challenging "technological Darwinism" toward a human-centered vision of digital justice. This progression outlines a new paradigm for human rights governance grounded in a shift from utilitarianism to a focus on human dignity.
Biography	Disheng Mu is a Ph.D. candidate in Law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). He gained his Master of Common Law degree from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and LL.B. degree from Nanjing university (NJU). His research focuses on constitutional and administrative law, with a particular interest in digital governance, personal information protection, and fundamental rights protection. Disheng Mu is admitted to the National Unified Legal Profession Qualification of the P.R.C. His article, "On the Constitutional Protection of Personal Information in Digital Government Construction," has been accepted for publication by the Shengjing Law Review and is scheduled to appear in 2026.