President, excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Allow me first to warmly thank Ambassador Suela Janina of Albania, Ambassador Ekitela Lokaale of Kenya, their teams and the UN secretariat, for the excellent facilitation of the WSIS+20 outcome document.
Norway urges all Member States to show the outmost flexibility in order to arrive at consensus document.
President,
While final draft is still pending, based on what we have seen and expect, we welcome an outcome document with a strong emphasis on human rights, including the freedom of opinion and expression, the right to privacy and the importance of gender equality.
In a time of increasing authoritarianism, on- and off-line, it is more important than ever to safeguard fundamental human rights, also within the digital space.
We would also welcome a clear call to the private sector to incorporate human rights in all their activities and to apply the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Furthermore, we would appreciate an equally clear call to states to refrain from Internet shutdowns and other measures that target Internet access.
Excellencies,
We are living through a time of extraordinary technological change.
Emerging technologies can create opportunities for development and innovation and help us solve some of the greatest challenges we face.
At the same time, we see that deep digital remain, within and between countries.
Closing these gaps, including through universal, meaningful and affordable connectivity, digital skills and locally relevant content, is of critical importance.
Norway will continue contributing to realizing this ambition.
President,
Earlier this year, Norway had the honour of hosting the Internet Governance Forum. That experience was yet another reminder of the unique value of the IGF as an open and inclusive space for collaboration and inclusive dialogue to address digital challenges.
We are highly committed to make the Internet Governance Forum a permanent forum of the United Nations. The Forum is the primary global multistakeholder platform for discussions on digital governance.
Looking ahead, Norway would like to see an IGF that produces more actionable inputs to policy processes, that further broadens participation from developing countries and under-represented groups.
As the recent host, Norway stands ready to share its experience to help achieve these goals.
President,
For twenty years, the WSIS framework has guided us toward a human-centric, inclusive and development-oriented information society. We look forward to adopt an outcome document that updates this vision for a new era of digital interdependence.
Norway remains firmly committed to an open, free, global, interoperable, secure and human-rights-based digital order, and to multistakeholder cooperation as the way to achieve it.
Let us build on the WSIS+20 outcome, the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact to close digital divides and to ensure that the benefits of the digital age are shared not by the few, but by all.
The vision remains clear. To realise this vision is our shared responsibility.
Thank you.