Human Rights Council – 62nd Session
Item 2 - Interactive Dialogue with Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls
Statement delivered by Iceland on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States
24 June 2026
President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.
We thank the Working Group for shining a light on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the conditions under which women and girls exercise their human rights.
While technological development creates new opportunities, existing patterns of discrimination are often reproduced and amplified, creating unequal access to technology, exclusion from decision-making and new forms of online abuse for women and girls [- online harassment, trolling, cyber stalking and doxing.]
We are particularly concerned by the report's finding that the technology-facilitated gender-based violence is driving women and girls out of digital spaces, with direct consequences for their participation in public and civic life. Yet less than 40% of States currently provide legal protection against such violence. This gap must be closed.
As the report makes clear, States cannot outsource their human rights obligations to private actors. AI governance must be human rights-based and gender-responsive. Ensuring full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls, [particularly those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination], throughout the design and deployment of these technologies, is vital
We remain committed to ensuring that digital development strengthens, rather than undermines, the rights of women and girls.
Distinguished experts,
What gender-responsive measures should be adopted to mitigate the impact of online harassment particularly against women and girls?
I thank you.