Thank you Mr President/Ambassador.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is proud to present together with Canada the draft resolution L.8 to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.

Freedom of expression is an essential part of any free and democratic society.

People who can express themselves freely, both online and offline, and exchange ideas and information are what drives innovation, creativity, the growth of knowledge, and most of all: hold governments to account to ensure that their policies benefit all so that no one is left behind.

Renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur sends a strong message that this Council and the international community at large are committed to protecting this fundamental freedom and recognize the important work done by the mandate over the past 30 years.

In an ever changing world, where technological innovation and societal shifts, lead to new opportunities and challenges, this mandate, which promotes and protects freedom of opinion and expression and provides States with advice for technical cooperation, is as necessary and relevant as when it was first created in 1993.

In closing, we would like to echo our Canadian partners in thanking the 67 co-sponsors of this resolution, which represent the five regions of the UN, as well as all States and civil society for their participation in the negotiations.

We look forward to the consensual adoption of this text.