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Czechia to present a resolution at the UN in support of human rights in the digital space

22.09.2023 / 17:55 | Aktualizováno: 22.09.2023 / 18:03

On Wednesday, 20 September 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský participated in a meeting on Advancing the 2030 Agenda through Inclusive and Rights-Respecting Digital Policy held by the United States as the Chair of the Freedom Online Coalition. Czechia advocates for the support and protection of human rights in the context of digital technologies and in various multilateral platforms. The Minister presented the resolution that Czechia will submit on this topic at the upcoming session of the 3rd Committee of the UN General Assembly.

The resolution aims to build a fundamental consensus on the application of human rights in the context of digital technologies throughout their lifecycle.

"New technologies can contribute significantly to the expansion and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, they should not be used to repress or restrict them. Human rights and freedoms must be respected throughout the entire lifecycle of artificial intelligence, from the design of the system, through data analysis, to its operation and output," said Minister Lipavský.

The event took place on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly's High-level week, which Minister Lipavský was attending as part of the delegation of President Petr Pavel. On Wednesday, Minister signed the Global Declaration on Information Integrity Online on behalf of the Czech Republic.

"In our country we have first-hand experience with Russian propaganda and the spread of pro-Kremlin tales. We need to work with online platforms to ensure that they uphold their commitments to tackle disinformation and damaging content. But at the same time, we must protect the right to freedom of speech," the minister noted.

On Monday, the head of Czech diplomacy attended an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, before which the minister met separately with his counterparts from the Visegrad Four countries.

On Tuesday, Minister Lipavský held a number of bilateral meetings, including with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija P. Burić. Together with the President, he also held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.