Over 400 stakeholders drawn from across West Africa and the Sahel converged in Praia, Cabo Verde, for the Regional Conference on Information Integrity, hosted by the UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar in collaboration with the Government of Cabo Verde, reports ITREALMS.
The three-day high-level gathering held between September 3 to 5, 2025, brought together government officials, regulatory agencies, electoral commissions, civil society, media practitioners, academia, the technical community, and international organizations, to deliberate on safeguarding information integrity in an increasingly digitalized society.
According to UNESCO, the objectives of the conference included adopting an integrated policy approach to information integrity; strengthening governance of digital platforms while safeguarding human rights; boosting public resilience against disinformation and hate speech; fostering synergies among diverse stakeholders; and advancing inclusive access to information and public-interest data.
Delegates reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the Windhoek+30 Declaration, a landmark regional and global framework endorsed by UNESCO’s General Conference, which recognizes information as a public good essential for democratic governance and human rights.
The conference also built on the Guidelines on the Governance of Digital Platforms by developing policy frameworks to address the challenges of disinformation, hate speech, and threats to democratic values in the digital age.
Organizers stressed that the resolutions and policy directions from the Praia meeting will serve as critical inputs to the African Union’s ongoing work on enhancing information integrity, and will also contribute to advancing the Global Digital Compact.
Industry observers say the conference marks another milestone in regional efforts to balance digital innovation with accountability, freedom of expression, and respect for fundamental human rights in Africa.
According to UNESCO, the objectives of the conference included adopting an integrated policy approach to information integrity; strengthening governance of digital platforms while safeguarding human rights; boosting public resilience against disinformation and hate speech; fostering synergies among diverse stakeholders; and advancing inclusive access to information and public-interest data.
Delegates reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the Windhoek+30 Declaration, a landmark regional and global framework endorsed by UNESCO’s General Conference, which recognizes information as a public good essential for democratic governance and human rights.
The conference also built on the Guidelines on the Governance of Digital Platforms by developing policy frameworks to address the challenges of disinformation, hate speech, and threats to democratic values in the digital age.
Organizers stressed that the resolutions and policy directions from the Praia meeting will serve as critical inputs to the African Union’s ongoing work on enhancing information integrity, and will also contribute to advancing the Global Digital Compact.
Industry observers say the conference marks another milestone in regional efforts to balance digital innovation with accountability, freedom of expression, and respect for fundamental human rights in Africa.
Chuks Egbune/Editor
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