第46回情報委員会における吉田公使ステートメント

 

Mr. Chair,
 
Let me start by congratulating you on your election as Chair and for your excellent work in steering the Committee this Session. I also wish to extend my gratitude to Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications, for her informative briefing.
 
Mr. Chair,
 
Japan stands ready to work with the Committee on negotiating a successful resolution and would like to add the following remarks.
 
First, Japan was pleased to receive the draft text summary of the Global Principles for Information Integrity at this month’s informal meeting. Amidst a surge of geopolitical crises, the text and its five key principles respond to our urgent need for a framework that guides multi-stakeholders. We appreciate the Department’s holistic approach to information threats both on and offline, focused on empowering users and developing a free and open Internet which leaves no one behind.
 
At the same time, we must ensure we take a nuanced course when shaping digital governance. As information technology continues to develop, we must mitigate the risks of emerging technologies while also maximizing their benefits, recognizing the ways in which tools such as AI can both help and hinder sustainable development. Japan will continue to serve as a leading voice in harmonizing AI governance to promote the SDGs and foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space. We will cooperate with leaders in the field of information technology and coordinate with partners to create a balanced approach to AI regulation through our new AI Safety Institute established February this year. Furthermore, we will continue to champion efforts to fight other digital threats to information integrity, as demonstrated by our recent publication of the Existing Practices against Disinformation (EPaD), which compiles good practices of countermeasures against disinformation taken in many countries. We are also looking into comprehensive measures to address how digital platform operators should respond to these challenges and how to improve digital media literacy among the general public.
 
Second, Japan commends the tireless work of the UN Information Centres, which enact the crucial role of disseminating information on UN activities to local populations in their languages. We pay particular homage to UNIC Tokyo and its Director, Ms. NEMOTO Kaoru, for their leading role in engaging the Japanese public with the SDGs. It is thanks to their instrumental efforts, including their collaboration with the SDG Media Compact, that recognition for the SDGs within Japan has continued to increase, resulting in over 90% of Japanese citizens able to identify the SDGs and raising awareness for necessary efforts towards achievement of SDGs.
 
The upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan is a valuable opportunity to further build on the momentum to accelerate global efforts towards achieving the SDGs. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Maher Nasser for his recent appointment as the Commissioner-General for the Expo 2025 and look forward to cooperating with our partners including civil society and DGC to host a successful event.
 
Lastly, as we quickly approach this year's Summit of the Future, Japan remains actively engaged in negotiations for the Pact, along with the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact. These processes, while parallel in their negotiations, will result in a package of robust outcomes that forges a better way forward for current and future generations in a multitude of areas, including information integrity, ensuring a safe and inclusive digital environment that leaves no one behind.
 
We stand ready to work in full collaboration with the members of this Committee and the Department of Global Communications throughout this Session to achieve a similar end.
 
I thank you.