Title: UN Global Digital Compact
Submitted by The Canadian Group of Liberal International (CGLI)
WHEREAS in September 2021 the UN Secretary-General released the Our Common Agenda report which proposed, in the context of other principles in the report, the creation of a Global Digital Compact to ensure “an open, free, and secure digital future for all” (IV/A/93);
AND WHEREAS the draft Global Digital Compact is being presented for agreement at the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024;
AND WHEREAS there is an urgent need for strong international cooperation to address how technology is affecting efforts to extend human rights, peace and security, the rule of law and development;
AND WHEREAS digital, data, innovation, safety and security divides fall most heavily on the most disadvantaged;
AND WHEREAS technology-facilitated gender-based violence is escalating rapidly, posing significant threats to the safety and well-being of women, girls, children, and people from other discriminated against groups, both online and off;
WHEREAS a safe, inclusive, secure and human-centred digital future must be anchored in international human rights law and in effective, inclusive and enforceable international and national laws and regulations;
AND WHEREAS the drafts of the Global Digital Compact show that there is pushback from certain Member States on critical measures respecting the mainstreaming of international human rights law and standards, the shared principles of gender equality and non-discrimination, measures to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and adequate regulatory and enforcement mechanisms;
AND WHEREAS the revisions of the Global Digital Compact acknowledge gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls as a cross-cutting and mutually reinforcing principle, language supporting its mainstreaming has not been consistent in the revisions, bringing into question governments’ commitment to the principle and, in particular, to preventing and addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council at its 57th session in the autumn 2024 adopted a resolution based on the Digital compact on the Promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet.
In the resolution the Council among other things “Encourages all States to support civil society in its efforts to address the lack of meaningful connectivity as a human rights-related issue; and Calls upon all States to accelerate efforts to bridge digital divides, including the gender digital divide, and to ensure meaningful connectivity, use of information and communications technology, promotion of open and secure digital access and digital inclusion, including through digital, media and information literacy, in order to promote the full enjoyment of human rights for all.
Whereas the Council of Europe this year opened for signature a ground-breaking Convention on the use of Artificial intelligence, taking a human rights-based approach, thus adopting useful guidance to protect human rights especially when the public sector uses AI.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS CALLS UPON UN MEMBER STATES TO TAKE STEPS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE UN GLOBAL DIGITAL COMPACT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE TRANSNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS EXPLICITLY MAINSTREAM AND ADDRESS:
Liberal International calls on all member parties to work for that their country signs and ratifies the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, open for adherence by every country in the world.
