On Tuesday, 20 September during the high-level week of the 77th UN General Assembly, Canada, Chair of the Freedom Online Coalition in 2022, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands co-hosted a high-level side-event titled ‘Upholding Democracy and Human Rights in the Face of Rising Disinformation’. The event featured the Chairs of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) and International IDEA who shared the work they have been able to accomplish to counter the spread of disinformation.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Mélanie Joly, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Wopke Hoekstra, alongside a multi-stakeholder panel of representatives from International IDEA, Microsoft and the Media Freedom Coalition’s High Level Panel of Legal Experts, provided remarks to highlight the value of a democratic, rights-based approach to counter disinformation.
The Ministerial interventions and subsequent panel discussion underscored the corrosive effect disinformation has on intellectual processes, political participation and representation, and public confidence in democratic institutions. Panellists also drew attention to the increasing use of countering disinformation as a pretext to stifling human rights online by authoritarian regimes.
To address the spread of disinformation, the panel emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety and independence of journalists in light of increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and the shrinking space for civil society and independent press to operate. Panellists also highlighted the need to respond to disinformation with a principled approach that supports freedom of expression, and builds societal resilience through digital literacy.
The panel underscored that multi-stakeholder engagement with civil society, academia, and industry is critical to effectively counter disinformation. Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra encouraged stakeholders to continue researching and sharing findings and paths forward to counter disinformation. Canada and the Netherlands announced that they would work together and with other like minded actors on a set of high-level international commitments to promote information integrity in the digital age.
To learn more about the Freedom Online Coalition’s efforts to address the growing spread of disinformation, view the Joint Statement on Spread of Disinformation Online. To watch the recording of the event, please click on the video below:
