Following a process that began in 2023 and is set to be completed in 2024, an abridged version of the report "The metaverse and its impact on Human Rights, Rule of Law, and Democracy" is now available for download in electronic format.

The document provides an overview of the principal issues outlined in a report on "The metaverse and its impact on Human Rights, Rule of Law, and Democracy," soon to be published. This report has been jointly developed by the Council of Europe and the IEEE Standards Association, a global standards-setting organisation within the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Attention to metaverse developments within the Council of Europe commenced in 2022, initially involving mapping the interest of various sectors of the Organisation in exploring immersive experiences and their potential impacts—both positive and adverse—on the principles and values promoted by the Council of Europe.

Given the general interest shown and the recognition of the topic's relevance, the Council of Europe leveraged the Digital Partnership’s expertise by launching a pilot project with the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to produce a joint report on the metaverse.

For this report, IEEE brought together nearly 50 experts to share their perspectives and expertise on technical, ethical, social, legal, policy, regulatory, standardisation, and governance issues related to the metaverse environment, specific applications, and potential implications.

This joint work aims to alert Council of Europe member states and other stakeholders regarding the metaverse, its potential, applications, benefits, as well as the issues and risks associated with its development, deployment, and engagement.

It also delves into the impact on human rights, the rule of law, and democracy—areas to be further analysed and evaluated within the context of the Council of Europe’s work in order to shape policies accordingly.

The impact of the metaverse has also been discussed in an Informal Committee of Ministers meeting in September 2023 at the Council of Europe, an organised session on virtual realities at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2023 in Kyoto, as well as at the Steering Committee for Media and Information Society (CDMSI) plenary meeting in November 2022 in Strasbourg. Further work on virtual realities will continue in various sectors of the Organisation from the next year onwards.

Download the Abridged version of the report >>