Tale til Summit for Democracy den 10. december 2021

Thank you so much, Administrator Power.

How do we make technology work for our democracy and– not against it?

That is one of the most fundamental and important questions of our time.

The digital transformation is happening very fast. It has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we communicate. And it will continue to do so.

It has given rise to new impressive opportunities. But also – new crucial challenges.

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Around the world, we see increased pressure on democracy, fundamental rights and civil society. Both oOffline and online.

Repression and censorship are used to silence democratic voices. And limit freedom of expression.

We share the responsibility to address these problems.

And Denmark is committed to this. Let me explain how.

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Democracy and human rights are core values of the Danish society. We work to secure and promote these values at home and in our foreign engagements all over the world.

Denmark is one of the most digital countries in the world.

With digital solutions, we can do things smarter, faster and better. However, the digital transformation has to go hand in hand with democracy.

Thatis is why Denmark recently launched our own platform – called Tech for Democracy.

Our mission is to bring governments, organizations, companies and also the civil society together. In an open and frank discussion.

We want technology to enhance democratic participation. Promote human rights. And protect democratic values.

In the coming year, we aim to create new public-private partnerships to deliver some concrete solutions.

To support the voices of civil society and human rights defenders online.

To help especially the children and young people to navigate in their digital future.

And to ensure reliable information online.

We look forward to working with the US and others to fight gender-based online abuse and harassment.

At home, we recently launched a number of proposals.
One of them is to make social media responsible for the use of their platforms. They must have procedures for removing of illegal content.

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Denmark of course cannot do this alone. We need worldwide engagement.

And Civil society leaders and activists have to be included.

And tech companies need to be part of the solution. They need to tTake responsibility.

Some tech companies are already making efforts to do so. That is both positive and important. Thank you, Mr. Brad Smith, for joining the discussion today.

We also need world leaders and international organizations to step up.

The European Union is taking a strong stand. We work to ensure fair digital markets and more transparency in content moderation.

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Thank you to the United States and President Biden for taking the lead on this agenda.

By hosting this summit, the US is sending a very clear signal of commitment. Setting the direction.

And Denmark looks forward to working with the United States in the year of action ahead.

We have spent most of the 20th century fighting for our democratic ideals.

Let’s make sure that those ideals are not compromised in the next21st century.

We need to partner up. Across sectors and across borders. Denmark is ready to listen, to learn, and to lead.

Thank you.