“Colleagues, dear friends, it is an honor to be given the opportunity to address you today, in the context of the 3rd Synod for Democracy. I am particularly pleased that this Summit is being hosted by the Republic of Korea, a country that is a model of progress and prosperity for the wider region, upholds our universal values, promotes peace and stability and defends democracy.
This year’s Summit on Democracy could not be more important, given that in 2024 almost half of the world’s population, nearly 4 billion people in 60 or more countries will go to the polls. Democracy is more widespread than ever, and that can only be a positive thing. At the same time, it faces significant challenges. Challenges that mean that those of us who continue to believe in democracy as a political system that represents the best of all alternatives must focus, I believe, on three critical priorities,” the prime minister initially said.
And he pointed out: “First, unity against aggression. I strongly believe that democracies have a duty to unite and unite their forces against aggressive behavior by states, any behavior that violates International and Humanitarian Law. The aggressive war, as we heard from President Zelensky, against Ukraine was one such example of unity in our response.
The same values should apply everywhere. Civilians must be protected everywhere in the world. And I understand that countries belonging to the Global South may see the war in Ukraine as a European war, but it is much more than a regional war. It is an open challenge to international stability, to International Law, to the rules-based international system that the Global South has also supported.
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza calls for urgent action. It is the duty of democracies to respond to this fundamental duty. The targeting of civilians and the killing of children in armed conflict are never acceptable in a world of democratic values.
Second, democratic states must regain the absolute trust of their citizens. It is our responsibility, as democratic leaders, to demonstrate that democracy is indeed the only system that can deliver the values that citizens truly desire: security, prosperity, freedom, respect and justice. Democracy, after all, is the only system that has the accountability mechanisms to guarantee the protection of these values.
And only by being honest about this challenge, and of course always realistic in our promises, only by implementing our political agenda, can we deliver tangible results for our citizens, which will ultimately strengthen our democracies.
This brings me to the third priority: regulating the technology. Innovation has given us, given humanity the tools to change the world for the better. Without regulatory rules, in the wrong hands, these tools can also cause disruption or even destruction.
Technological progress, particularly in artificial intelligence, has already begun to bring about significant changes in the way our economies and societies operate. If we are not careful we, as democrats, risk not making the necessary adjustments to prevent the abuse of artificial intelligence. The deceptive use of artificial intelligence, deep fakes, can disrupt the very fabric of our reality, with serious potential consequences for the “health” of democracy everywhere. This could not only undermine transparency and accountability, but also weaken social cohesion, collective values and the fundamental trust that is so essential to the cohesion of our societies.
The key is smart regulation that doesn’t stifle innovation. We need to regulate technological innovation in the same responsible way that we regulate, for example, drugs and food. In the European Union we have already taken this leap with the introduction of the first legal framework for artificial intelligence, the Law on Artificial Intelligence. I hope that others will follow this example, because, as in the case of climate change, the issue recognizes no borders and concerns us all”, said the prime minister.
He then emphasized that “there has been almost no other time in our history when international cooperation has been more imperative than now. It is time for all of us, north and south, east and west, to create sincere partnerships aimed at mutual benefit.
The division today is not about geographical differences. It’s about pacifists versus warmongers. It is about those who understand the value of International Law versus those who wish to prevail by embracing violence and chaos. It is about those who believe in protecting human life and those who believe in nothing but self-interest, recklessly.
There is a natural coalition of states that are on the right side of these dividing lines. And I believe that, after all, we are the majority and our future lies in this coalition. Our future lies in our cooperation for the benefit of all”, concluded the Prime Minister in his speech.
F-16 crash: The “curse” of Psathoura “struck” again – The tragedies with fighters in the same area
These are the most expensive players in the Super League – €18m the most expensive
Neymar’s father pays the bail for the release of Dani Alves
#Civilians #protected #world