Human Rights Council – 47th session

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

1 July 2021

Australian Statement

Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for her presentation and report.

Australia is committed to resisting and countering the spread of disinformation.

Disinformation can undermine the institutions we take for granted - our Parliaments, our democracies, our legal systems; and our rights to freedom of opinion and expression and of association.

Disinformation can affect economic prosperity, undermine public health advice and damage social cohesion, and undermine national security and sovereignty.

Australia is working with a range of international partners to inoculate against disinformation.

We are doing this by promoting resilient institutions, good governance and strong civil society, improving consumer judgement and media literacy, developing and sharing tools to detect and limit the spread of disinformation in social media and building international norms.

As part of this, Australia’s Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program is building awareness and capability in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific to strengthen approaches to counter disinformation, including through the delivery of online training, advisory support and knowledge exchange with government officials and civil society.

Question: what role can civil society play to facilitate the promotion and protection of human rights as part of a multi-stakeholder response to disinformation?

Thank you.

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