EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Consultation on the Global Digital Compact

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EU Statement - UN General Assembly: Consultation on the Global Digital Compact

24.03.2023 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in New York

30 January 2023, New York - European Union Statement at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly consultation Global Digital Compact

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States. At the outset let me congratulate both the PR of Sweden, Ambassador Anna-Karin Enestrom, and the PR of Rwanda,Ambassador, Claver Gatete, for their nomination as co-facilitators of the consultations on the Global Digital Compact.

Work on the digital agenda is a high political priority for the EU. The EU and its Member States stand for a global, open, free, stable and secure cyberspace, grounded in the rule of law, human rights and democratic principles.

For this reason, the EU supports the development of a Global Digital Compact, as proposed by the SG in his "Our Common Agenda" report. Connecting all people to the open internet, avoiding internet fragmentation, protecting data and applying human rights online, introducing accountability criteria for discrimination and misleading content and promoting regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as digital commons as a global public good, are all very much in line with EU priorities. The Global Digital Compact will also be one of the central pillars of the Summit of the Future (SOTF) in 2024 as an accelerator for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Global Digital Compact will be key in restoring trust in effective multilateralism.

As we find ourselves in an ever more connected world, we are convinced it is an opportunity for the UN, with its universal membership, to advance on these important issues. We are therefore ready to participate in the process and bring to the discussions our experience with a comprehensive regulatory approach aimed at ensuring democracy, human rights and the rule of law, while ensuring fair competition and innovation. We stand for a positive human-centric and human rights based vision for an open, stable, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet, creating public value and advancing the digital and green transitions.

We have recently adopted anEU Digital Rights and Principles Declarationwhich, together with the Declaration for the Future of the Internetcommits the EU to a digital transformation which fosters respect for human rights, solidarity and inclusion, increases safety, security and empowerment of individuals in the digital space. This is not just for our European citizens. We stand ready to assist partners in other parts of the world as we embark on this exciting and promising journey.

Universal connectivity is an enabler of the 2030 Agendaand a cross-cutting issue embedded in every Sustainable Development Goal. The EU is committed to helping close the various digital divides, including the digital gender gap, foster access to digital, information and media education and to enable everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, abilities, condition and geographical location, including the most vulnerable, to participate confidently and safely in today's digital society and economy. We need to reduce regional gaps and disparities and facilitate universal access to internet, digital services and telecommunications. Universal access to an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet is a prerequisite to achieve digital transformation for everyone. This effort should be integrally connected with greening the digital transformation and making digital technologies work for global climate goals. The EU has already stepped up its efforts to finance affordable, inclusive and trusted digital connectivity in less developed regions through our new Connectivity Strategy- the Global Gateway.

But the digital transformation is not just about opportunities, it's also about risks. Misinformation and disinformation are two examples of such risks. As new technologies are being used by foreign actors to threaten the security and integrity of States, manipulate the information environment, and interfere in democratic processes or curtail human rights, they too become one of the key components to maintain international peace and security. While disinformation is not a new phenomenon, digital technologies have given it a new, threatening dimension. While guaranteeing freedom of speech, the EU's aim is to ensure that civic discourse is not distorted and manipulated. Promotion of digital skills and digital literacy, including media and information literacy, is among the most important tool to strengthen resilience to it.

To conclude, dear co-facilitators, you can count on the EU to proactively support the creation of a Global Digital Compact in order to reap digital dividends and bridge digital divides.We will share our experience throughout the consultation processand contribute constructively to the discussions. We urge the co-facilitators to make sure that a true multistakeholder and inclusive dialogue is guaranteed throughout the process. We believe the schedule of consultations including theseries of deep divesprovide us with an important opportunity to increase our common level of understanding and improve our "digital literacy" so to speak. We are looking forward to the SGs policy briefin April and will contribute to the envisaged issues paperin preparation of the September meeting. The EU will furthermore continue to support the Office of the Tech Envoyand count on the Tech Envoy to continue to play its advocacy role in the global debate on digital. The EU will furthermore provide a substantial written contribution through the UN website by the UN DDL set for the end of March.