Jamaica to implement pact to police social media space
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called on world leaders to fully implement a United Nations (UN) global digital pact which will among other things, suppress free speech and require telecommunications companies to police online social media platforms.
Holness who is in hot water over the status of his statutory declarations, was very strident as he addressed the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Summit for the Future on September 21.
“Having completed the negotiations, it is now our responsibility to ensure effective implementation of the pact for the future, the global digital compact, and the declaration on future generations,” he said.
As Holness gave his commitment to implementing the global digital compact which essentially is aimed at policing the digital space with the help of multiple stakeholders, his detractors were busy dissecting his business on the social media platforms.
Persons online were making full use of the unrestricted internet, they currently enjoy, by freely sharing their views on his financial saga, clamoring for his resignation and circulating the findings of a damning report from the Integrity Commission regarding his finances.
“Excellencies, with the adoption of the pact and its annexes, we have charted a path and made the first bold steps. Let us now move forward with hope and determination to ensure that our collective legacy, will be a peaceful, healthy and prosperous planet for all our people’s and a sustainable future, for the generations to come,” Holness told those in attendance at the General Assembly in New York.
One day after after Holness urged support for the policy, the UN issued a press release, stating that the world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future that includes the Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.
The Freedom Come Rain is not aware of a statement from the Prime Minister or his office, informing Jamaicans that the country has adopted this far reaching agenda, which among other things – could be used to suppress the views of those who speak out against the LGBTQ community online.
The global digital compact is a UN initiative designed to institute a set of shared principles and guidelines for how digital technologies should be governed globally. Its focus ranges from securing human rights in the digital space to ensuring the responsible use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
In its press release indicating the adoption of the groundbreaking pact, the UN assured that the agreement is anchored on digital co-operation in human rights and international law. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted in a statement in 2023 that the digital space has been used — and misused — to attack individuals and groups, and to spread hate speech and damaging disinformation, without consequences or accountability.
“Placing human rights at the centre of digital innovation and governance efforts will ensure our digital future is far healthier and help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” he insisted.
The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has been vocal in his support for the LGBTQ community in particular and the need to protect their human rights.
“Each assault on LGBTQI+ people is an assault on human rights and the values we hold dear. We cannot and will not move backwards.The United Nations firmly stands with the LGBTQI+ community, and will continue working until human rights and dignity are a reality for all people,” Guterres stated in May 2023.
Although buggery is illegal in Jamaica and the population is overwhelmingly opposed to same sex relationships, those who endorse the pact, including Holness, have given a global commitment to foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights by 2030.
“We commit to respect, protect and promote human rights in the digital space. We will uphold international human rights law throughout the life cycle of digital and emerging technologies, so that users can safely benefit from digital technologies and are protected from violations, abuses and all forms of discrimination. We recognize the responsibilities of all stakeholders in this endeavour and also call on the private sector to apply the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” a section of the pact reads.
Global leaders have also committed to implementing national legislation to ensure digital technologies are compliant with obligations under international law, including international human rights laws and establish safeguards that protect individuals against violations and abuses of their human rights in the digital space.
Countries have also given a commitment that digital technology companies, developers and social media platforms will respect human rights online and be accountable for and take measures to mitigate and prevent abuses.
“We must urgently counter and address all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology, all forms of hate speech and discrimination, misinformation and disinformation, cyberbullying and child sexual exploitation and abuse. We will establish and maintain robust risk mitigation and redress measures that also protect privacy and freedom of expression.” each government committed.
Prime Minister Holness earned the ire of Jamaicans when he announced that his government needed to address “hate speech”, during a discussion forum last year December at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC. He noted that this was necessary, due to the chronic levels of violence in the country. The church community especially, expressed concerns that Holness was being pressured by the international agencies to implement such a law. The Prime Minister did not indicate any international influence, but instead downplayed his initial statement.
However, in June this year he announced plans to tackle mis-information and dis-information.
“The world we are now in has the capability to create and generate misinformation at a scale and speed that influences people who are normally rational and reasonable people,” Holness stated while addressing a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) youth conference in St Ann.
