UNESCO Spearheads Initiative to Combat Online Disinformation While Protecting Free Speech in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is leading a concerted effort in Pakistan to address the escalating challenge of online disinformation and harmful content. Recognizing the delicate balance between curbing harmful content and preserving fundamental rights, UNESCO organized a national stakeholder consultation in Islamabad on Friday, December 6, 2024. The consultation, a culmination of preceding provincial dialogues, brought together representatives from government ministries, regulatory bodies, digital platforms, civil society, media organizations, and academia to formulate a comprehensive strategy for governing digital media platforms. The core objective is to foster a digital environment that promotes freedom of expression and access to information while simultaneously mitigating the detrimental effects of disinformation.
The urgency of this initiative was underscored by Antony Kar Hung Tam, a senior UNESCO official in Islamabad, who emphasized the critical need to counter the proliferation of disinformation and malicious content online without compromising the fundamental rights of individuals, particularly freedom of expression and access to information. He stressed that achieving this delicate equilibrium requires a collaborative and multifaceted approach involving shared responsibility among all stakeholders. Mr. Tam further highlighted UNESCO’s commitment to facilitating a multi-stakeholder dialogue, fostering greater cooperation, and building consensus on effective strategies for digital governance. The consultation, held in partnership with the Institute for Research Advocacy and Development (Irada), sought to synthesize diverse perspectives and pave the way for concrete actions to address the complex challenges posed by the digital landscape.
The consultation highlighted the growing global concerns surrounding digital governance, with Pakistan being no exception. Mohammad Shahzad, Director-General of the Centre of Digital Communication at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, stressed the imperative of prioritizing the balance between combating hate speech and disinformation while safeguarding legitimate discourse. Ahmed Shamim Pirzada, Director-General of the Web Analysis Division at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the challenges related to digital governance transcend national borders and require international collaboration to effectively address. He further emphasized the need for a holistic strategy that encompasses legislative frameworks, technological solutions, and public awareness campaigns to create a safer and more responsible digital ecosystem.
UNESCO’s "Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms" serve as a crucial framework for this initiative, underscoring the vital role of enabling environments in protecting fundamental human rights in the digital sphere. These guidelines emphasize the responsibility of states to respect and protect human rights online, the obligation of digital platforms to uphold these rights, and the crucial contributions of various actors, including intergovernmental organizations, civil society, media, academia, and the technical community, in achieving this goal. The guidelines promote a multi-faceted approach that includes policy development, capacity building, and international cooperation to ensure a balanced and rights-respecting digital environment. They also advocate for transparency and accountability in the operations of digital platforms, emphasizing the importance of user empowerment and redress mechanisms.
Reinforcing UNESCO’s commitment to combating disinformation, a Pakistan-led resolution titled "Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information" was adopted at the organization’s executive board session in October 2024. This resolution emphasizes the necessity of multidimensional and multi-stakeholder responses that align with international human rights law and involve the proactive engagement of international organizations, states, traditional media, social media platforms, businesses, and other relevant stakeholders. The resolution calls for a comprehensive approach that combines legal frameworks, technological tools, media literacy initiatives, and public awareness campaigns to effectively combat the spread of disinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression. It also underscores the importance of international cooperation and information sharing to address the transnational nature of disinformation.
The national consultation, building upon the insights gathered from the preceding provincial consultations, yielded several key recommendations for governing digital media platforms. These recommendations centered on enhancing cooperation among stakeholders, promoting media and information literacy, and improving content moderation and curation by digital media platforms. The recommendations underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to create a more responsible and trustworthy digital environment. Increased cooperation between government agencies, digital platforms, and civil society organizations is seen as crucial in tackling the complex issue of online disinformation. Empowering individuals with media and information literacy skills is emphasized to enable critical evaluation of online content and resist manipulation. Enhanced content moderation and curation practices by digital platforms are also highlighted as essential for mitigating the spread of harmful content while preserving legitimate expression.
The overarching goal of the consultation was to establish a platform for translating these recommendations into actionable strategies, fostering an evidence-based approach to global dialogues on regionally specific concerns regarding the governance of digital platforms. This initiative reflects UNESCO’s commitment to fostering a balanced digital ecosystem where freedom of expression and access to information flourish alongside efforts to combat disinformation and promote a safe and inclusive online environment. The outcomes of the consultation are expected to contribute significantly to shaping future policy discussions and initiatives aimed at navigating the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. This collaborative effort signals a crucial step toward building a more robust and responsible digital landscape in Pakistan and beyond.