14 Nov 2023
Mr Chair,
1 Singapore has taken the floor today to make an Explanation of Position after the adoption of the resolution on the “Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Digital Technologies”.
2 Singapore is a highly digitalised society with one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world. According to the World Bank, 96% of our population are users of the internet. This is due to our unwavering efforts to bridge the digital divide. We have also been ranked as the ‘most religiously diverse country in the world' and are enduringly multi-ethnic and multi-lingual. The peace and harmony we enjoy is no accident, and we work strenuously to maintain it.
3 Given this context, Singapore places great emphasis on ensuring that all human rights are protected online, as they are offline. Domestic surveys show that 80% of Singapore residents are concerned about the proliferation of harmful online content, and 50% have encountered such content including cyber-bullying, and falsehoods. Singapore has passed legislation to decisively protect our people and prevent online discourse from spiralling into vitriol and hate.
Mr Chair,
4 While Singapore appreciates the facilitators’ efforts to strike a balance in the resolution, we are disappointed at the unwillingness expressed during consultations to include references to the State’s legitimate prerogative and responsibility to counter online harms and ensure a safe digital environment. There is a plethora of agreed language from this very Assembly’s resolutions about States’ responsibilities to counter disinformation, misinformation, and other online harms for the protection of national security or of public order. Our effort to include verbatim language on this issue was resisted in successive rounds of consultations.
5 Singapore is also alarmed at attempts by the Core Group to include wide-reaching language pertaining to online restrictions without any caveats. The right to Freedom of Expression is not unfettered, online or offline. The State has the right, and indeed responsibility, to regulate online content in many cases. It cannot take a hands-off approach and must justifiably act to prevent the serious impact of misinformation and disinformation on the social fabric, political sovereignty, on peace, on stability, and on national security.
Mr Chair,
6 Singapore has joined consensus on this resolution as we believe in the need to promote and protect human rights in the context of digital technologies. However, each country must decide for itself what will work best for it, considering its own unique circumstances and taking into account their international law obligations.
7 Singapore will continue to engage constructively in future iterations of this resolution, in the hope that we will achieve a more ambitious and balanced outcome.
8 Thank you, Mr Chair.
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