Pakistan committed to countering the virus of disinformation by all possible means: Munir Akram

NEW YORK, Nov 16 (SABAH): Pakistan-sponsored resolution entitled “Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” was adopted today by the Third Committee of the General Assembly by consensus.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, while introducing the rationale and the context of this resolution, said: “The world is plagued today by the exponential proliferation of disinformation, which is exacerbating social discord, competing nationalisms, discrimination, hate speech, stigmatization, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and related intolerances. This has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the extreme reliance on Information Technology, yielding phenomena from fake cures to anti-vaccine conspiracies”

Elaborating on the components of the resolution, Ambassador Akram said that the resolution on disinformation “highlights the negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the rapid spread of disinformation, through online platforms and social media. It notes with concern that ICTs have enabled pathways for false or manipulated disinformation to be created, disseminated and amplified for political, ideological, or commercial motives at unprecedented scale, speed, and scope”.

The resolution also emphasizes how important it is that business enterprises, including online platforms and social media companies, ensure that their commercial objectives do not undermine human rights. Their business models and business operations, data collection and data processing practices and advertisement policies should be compliant with international human rights law. They must not allow their platforms to be used for spreading disinformation, which leads to discrimination, incitement to hatred, hostility, violence, and polarization.

Ambassador Akram, reiterated that Pakistan is committed to countering the virus of disinformation by all possible means. We shall continue to promote this by both national means and through international cooperation with Member States and other stakeholders under the umbrella of the United Nations.

The resolution was the outcome of broad-based and extensive consultations with all member states and was cosponsored and supported by large number of states.  The adoption of this resolution has contributed to promoting transparency and the initiation of a concerted campaign to counter disinformation by states and all relevant stakeholders in accordance with international human rights law. The resolution will be formally adopted by the General Assembly in the second week of December.