A parallel event to the G20 highlights the global discussions led by the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) regarding the promotion of information integrity. Organized by the Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil in partnership with UNESCO, the event brings together experts to discuss digital world challenges such as misinformation, hate speech, and online threats to public institutions, with the goal of proposing solutions to these challenges of the digital age.
This Tuesday (30) and Wednesday (1), a Parallel event organized by the G20 Digital Economy Working Group in São Paulo will address the promotion of information integrity. On the first day, the event is open to the public (registration required) and will be transmitted live on the G20 Brasil website. The opening session will have the presence of Minister Paulo Pimenta from the Social Communications Secretariat of Brasil's Presidency of the Republic (Secom), Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO's Communications and Information director, and Melissa Fleming, undersecretary for the United Nations' Global Communications (UN). The meeting takes place following NETmundial +10.
The two-day conference will be held face-to-face, with open panels and restricted discussion groups. On Tuesday (April 30) from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm there will be restricted meetings and workshops, with the participation of specialists and G20 engagement group representatives.
Among the speakers are Maria Ressa, Philippine journalist, Nobel Prize laureate in 2021, and president of Rappler, her country's main news website on press freedom advocacy; Nishant Lalwani, CEO at International Fund for Public Interest Media; Angie Holan, director at International Fact-Checking Network do Poynter Institute; Nicolas Robinson, public policy director at OpenAI Latin America; and Elsa Pilichowski, Public Governance director at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Less room for rights protection and democracy
According to Secom's secretary for Digital Policies João Brant, this is the first time the G20 addresses information integrity as a main issue at the Digital Economy WG. "Participants from all over the world will seek alternatives to ensure information integrity and combat misinformation and hate speech", and develop strategies to "make sure the population can have access to trustworthy and consistent information in their daily lives," explains Brant.
He said that excessive misinformation and hate speech leave less room for rights protection and democracy. "Having a digital environment where everyone can talk and participate is very positive. But there are also negative consequences due to the way this public debate is being carried out," he said. Transnational companies must work together to define rules and standards for public debate. Brant states that this event is key to finding solutions to counter the massive circulation of fake news and hate speech, and believes the conference will be an excellent opportunity to advance this debate.
The event will address the current panorama and propose initiatives to promote information integrity, including issues like the sustainability of public interest content producers, regulation of the digital services market, and the protection of electoral processes and public institutions around the world. It will be an opportunity to share international experiences and best practices and to develop strategies to counter the challenges of the digital environment.
In Brasil, access to information is a constitutional right, fundamental for the exercise of democracy. Information integrity and democracy itself are threatened by fast technological advances and the dissemination of misinformation and hate speech through digital platforms.
The conference will address the social and political impacts of digital technology advances with a special focus on information integrity and trust on the internet, misinformation, hate speech, and online threats to public institutions.
Please access the links to learn more about the speakers and to access the full program
