Thank you Mr. President,

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is grateful to the Advisory Committee of the HRC for this timely and important report.  

Everyone in this room will know how digitalization is rapidly changing our lives and societies. We see the benefits of this development, but we should also be aware of the many risks that have emerged at equal speed. And of how these risks disproportionally impact women and girls in all their diversity. This report rightfully underscores the urgency to address this.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is especially concerned about the chilling effect technology-facilitated gender-based violence has on the civic space, both online and offline, for women and girls in all their diversity face to let their voices be heard. With an even greater risk for those that are specifically targeted, such as LGBTQI-persons and women human rights defenders, because of who they are. Combatting this, as the report recommends, requires a global, collective and coordinated effort on TFGBV and ‘offline’ (S)GBV. 

The report stresses the importance of regulation, in UN and national contexts as well as for the tech industry. The Kingdom of the Netherlands underscores the report’s recommendation that in regulation of digital technologies a gender-based perspective, inclusive of women and girls in all their diversity, is imperative. 

Mr. President,
The report briefly mentions the engagement of men and boys. Where do you see opportunities to involve  men and boys more in preventing and combatting technology-facilitated gender-based violence?