HRC63 - EU Statement - Strengthening international cooperation for promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls in the context of digital technologies EU General Comment

UN Human Rights Council
63rd Session – Item 3
Resolution L.17 - GC

Strengthening international cooperation for promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls in the context of digital technologies

EU General Comment

Thank you, Mr President.

I have the honour to deliver this general comment on behalf of the EU Member States that are members of this Council. This General Comment has been agreed by the European Union as a whole.

Gender equality, the full enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls, and their empowerment are among the key priorities of the European Union.

We reaffirm that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online. At a time of rapid technological development, we cannot ignore the impact of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, on the human rights of all women and girls.

The resolution adopted today rightly highlights the potential of digital technologies, recognizing at the same time also the differentiated impacts that they may have on all women and girls, by reinforcing existing gender inequalities and discrimination. 

The European Union reaffirms the principles of the Global Digital Compact and the importance of the full, equal and meaningful participation of all women and girls in the digital space.

The EU calls on States to take gender-responsive measures to bridge the gender digital divide and ensure affordable, meaningful and equitable access to connectivity, education and digital literacy. The EU also calls for effective measures to prevent and address technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Particular attention should be paid to the use of unrepresentative data and biased systems that may reproduce or amplify existing gender inequalities, discrimination, including multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and gender stereotypes.

We welcome the important contributions of relevant UN entities, the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, civil society, the private sector, academia and all other actors working in this field. We sincerely hope that this initiative will help to break down silos and lead to tangible results.

Finally, we look forward to the panel discussion at HRC68 on the human rights of all women and girls in the context of digital technologies which will bring all the relevant actors together and will strengthen international cooperation in this field.

The European Union  supports the adoption of this resolution and encourages all delegations to do the same.

Thank you, Mr President.