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INTERVENTION BY

MR. ESCOPPER ZUMILA MICHAEL JAWA

LONG-TERM DELEGATE TO THE 78TH UNGA

PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

AT THE INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH

DR. ANA BRIAN NOUGRÈRES

SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY

 

THIRD COMMITTEE OF THE 78TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 13 OCTOBER 2023

 

 

Thank you, Mdm. Chair.

 

Malaysia thanks Dr. Nougrères for her report and presentation to the Committee.

 

Mdm. Chair,

 

2.     The right to privacy is enshrined in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. With the advancement of technology, new challenges have emerged particularly with regard to the protection of this right. The growth of information technology, with its enhanced capacity for surveillance, communication computation, storage and retrieval are impacting privacy boundaries. They have resulted in privacy violations such as exploitation of personal information, as well as sharing of personal data without comprehensive comprehension or consent.

 

3.     Malaysia welcomes the focus of the report of the Special Rapporteur on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the right to privacy, and sees value in the recommendations contained therein, particularly on the need for transparency and explainability in AI. However, efforts to ensure the promotion and protection of the right to privacy in the digital sphere must not result in the impediment of access to the Internet and not hamper the ability of people, especially those in developing countries, to harness the benefits of research, development and innovation.

 

4.     Domestically, Malaysia has undertaken efforts towards the promotion and protection of the right to privacy. These include the enactment and review of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, the establishment of a Data Protection Authority, as well as the introduction of the National Cybersecurity Policy. We are also undertaking efforts to increase public awareness on the importance of information privacy through advocacy efforts to combat the occurrence of data breaches and privacy intrusions.

 

Mdm. Chair,

 

5.     Our question to the Special Rapporteur is as follows: what would be the most significant challenge in the incorporation of transparency in AI governance?

 

I thank you.