ISLAMABAD: The Unesco representative in Pakistan has stressed the urgent need to tackle disinformation and harmful content online while safeguarding the right to free speech and access to information.

The UN body organised a stakeholder consultation in Islamabad on Friday to create a conducive environment for freedom of expression, access to online information and governance reforms in digital media platforms.

“There is an urgent need to tackle disinformation and harmful content online while safeguarding fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression and access to information”, said Antony Kar Hung Tam, a senior official of Unesco in Islamabad.

“Achieving this balance requires a shared responsibility and collaborative efforts from all stakeholders”, added Mr Tam, who led the consultation held in collaboration with the Institute for Research Advocacy and Development (Irada).

UN body consults stakeholders for reforms in digital media platforms

Mohammad Shahzad, the director-general of the Centre of Digital Communication at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said balancing hate speech and disinformation with legitimate discourse should be an utmost priority for stakeholders.

Pakistan Telecommunication Auth­ority’s DG of Web Analysis Division, Ahmed Shamim Pirzada, said concerns around digital governance are a global issue and not just limited to Pakistan.

The ‘Unesco Guidelines for Governance of Digital Platforms’ emphasise “the need for an enabling environment to safeguard freedom of expression, access to information, and other human rights while ensuring a safe and open digital space”.

The guidelines emphasise that states must respect and protect human rights, digital platforms should uphold human rights, and intergovernmental organisations, civil society, media, academia, and the technical community also play crucial roles in this regard.

In its most recent executive board session held in October this year, Unesco adopted a Pakistan-led resolution on “Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.”

It stresses that countering disinformation requires multidimensional and multi-stakeholder responses consistent with international human rights law and the proactive management of international organisations, states, media and social media, business enterprises and other relevant stakeholders.

The national consultation was preceded by four provincial consultations in which recommendations were collated from various stakeholders for governance of digital media platforms with respect to internet freedom, human rights and access to information.

These recommendations included increased cooperation between stakeholders, enhanced media and information literacy and better content moderation and curation by digital media platforms.

The consultation was aimed at creating a forum to implement the recommendations and develop an evidence-based approach for global dialogues on regional-specific concerns about the governance of digital platforms.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024