4 minute read
The resolution authored by Armenia, titled “Strengthening International Cooperation to Promote and Protect the Rights of Women and Girls in the Context of Digital Technologies,” has been unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council. It was presented to the HRC by an interregional group comprising Armenia, Estonia, Rwanda, Uruguay, Senegal, Sweden and Kazakhstan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia said the resolution addresses the opportunities offered by digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, in the context of human rights, as well as the challenges associated with them. Combining three key areas—the accessibility of technologies, the full participation of women and girls in the processes of their development and governance, and protection from technology-related risks—the resolution seeks to address gender digital divides, including gaps in technological skills; promote the participation of women and girls in the governance of digital technologies and artificial intelligence; and respond to emerging risks, including issues related to discrimination, algorithmic bias and data representativeness.
A key component of the resolution is promoting international cooperation, taking into account the cross-border nature of technologies and the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation aimed at their effective governance. The resolution encourages the exchange of knowledge and experience, capacity building, as well as a joint response to existing and emerging challenges. The resolution establishes a comprehensive new framework for international cooperation, linking human rights and gender equality with science and technology.
Presenting the resolution, Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Ambassador Hasmik Tolmajyan, addressed the opportunities offered by digital transformation, noting that discriminatory design of technologies and artificial intelligence, non-representative data and algorithmic bias serve to reproduce and deepen existing inequalities. Ambassador Tolmajyan emphasized the importance of keeping the rights of women and girls at the center of collective efforts alongside the continued and rapid development of technologies.
This new resolution, co-authored by around five dozen states representing all UN regional groups, was presented as a continuation of Armenia’s consistent efforts to advance technology and innovation to promote gender equality on multilateral platforms.
It also reflects Armenia’s strong commitment to promoting gender equality amid digital transformation, taking into account the high representation of women in the technology sector, which significantly exceeds the global average.
The initiative’s presentation at the Human Rights Council comes at a particularly important time, when the rapid development of artificial intelligence makes it increasingly urgent to strengthen effective international cooperation on the interconnectedness of technology, equality and human rights.