Africa-Press – Botswana. President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has underscored the need for global leaders to cultivate trust, bolster credibility, and uphold integrity in the systems they either adopt, develop or employ.
Deliberating on the topic, Technology, Elections and Mis/Disinformation during the 3rd Summit for Democracy Leaders’ virtual plenary on Wednesday, President Masisi said the authenticity of such trust and credibility in those areas was critical for fostering stability and confidence in the system.
“If these are broadened by the application of communication technology and are allowed to prevail by the ease of access to such technology which speaks to the rights of the voter, they enhance and deepen our democracy,” he said.
He also argued that anything that undermined such trust was a direct assault on the potential for democracy to yield the very stability and trust that all yearned for. Therefore, the President urged fellow leaders to provide support to countries, especially those in the global south and underdeveloped regions, in terms of technology systems, offering empathetic assistance and protection to help them reinforce the integrity of their democratic systems and stabilise their nations.
“For if we do not, we risk the very values that bring us together. And so, I welcome this summit, which should turn into a coalition of like-minded and hopefully provide an opportunity for a resetting or affirmation of the values that we all subscribe to,” President Masisi said.
He emphasised that achieving such a goal would necessitate investing comprehensively to ensure that digital systems and platforms reached and were utilised by a wide range of people, while also ensuring their stability to bolster democratic governance.
“Democracy is fragile and technology should never be used as a tool to threaten it. It requires all of us to empower our citizens, ensure that we regulate these systems, capacitate our institutions and systems, innovate continuously, sophisticate, make sure our people participate and we share in building this unbreakable coalition of our commitment to the values of the like-minded in defence and protection of democracy,” he said.
The President told the summit that as Botswana gravitated towards the 2024 elections in October, the country was rock solid in its commitment to making sure that its democracy was defended.
President Masisi highlighted Botswana’s role as a beacon of democracy in Africa, given that it was the continent’s oldest and longest-standing multi-party democracy, thus representing the aspirations of many nations in their pursuit of democratic governance.
“And we acknowledge readily, as others have, that this year, 2024, presents an opportunity wherein 4.2 billion of the world’s population will be subjected to an electoral process that is democratic and will yield leaders of various shapes and forms,” he said.
On technology and misinformation, President Masisi highlighted the complexities facing democracies in the digital age, acknowledging both the opportunities and challenges brought about by ongoing technological transformations.
“First, the rapid advancement in digital technology globally presents an opportunity for greater participation, wider reach, and increased exposure to the risks of disinformation or misinformation,” he said.
Notwithstanding, President Masisi congratulated President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea for hosting the 3rd Summit for Democracy Leaders.
Meanwhile, participating leaders from over 30 countries were expected to highlight what they perceived as digital threats to democracy, including misinformation, artificial intelligence and deep fakes.
Leaders are also expected to share with the world the use of new technologies to benefit people without hampering democracy and seek cooperation to that end.
It has been reported that fake news and disinformation based on artificial intelligence and digital technology not only violated individual freedom and human rights, but also threatened democratic systems.
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