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UNESCO Welcomes G20 Digital Economy Working Group鈥檚 Focus on Information Integrity and Trust
This has been a very fruitful collaboration between the G20 and UNESCO which reflects a global commitment to information integrity and the promotion of an inclusive and human rights-based digital environment, a concrete follow-up of our Internet for Trust initiative.
UNESCO places particular emphasis on the chapter addressing online information integrity and trust within the digital economy.
The ministerial declaration underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in digital platforms, aligning fully with UNESCO鈥檚 . It also stresses the critical need for promoting information integrity, which ensures the availability of reliable, diverse and accurate information in a timely manner.
Without such integrity, trust in the digital economy, public institutions, governance and democratic processes may erode, resulting in weakened social cohesion, economic decline and undermined human rights protections.
UNESCO is very grateful to the Brazilian presidency for entrusting us as its Knowledge Partner. We will carry this message forward, continue working for Internet for Trust and for Information Integrity on Climate Change, and we also look forward to working closely with the 2025 South African presidency, the first time Africa hosts the G20.
Strengthening Information Integrity to Combat Climate Change
The G20 ministers emphasize that safeguarding information integrity is crucial for maintaining trust in the information ecosystem as well as in scientific and historical knowledge. This is especially important in reducing polarization, which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Promoting information integrity can also help mitigate political, social and economic instability, as well as curb radicalization and violent extremism, while facilitating responses to environmental challenges.
This aligns closely with UNESCO鈥檚 recently published , part of the Organization鈥檚 strategy from World Press Freedom Day 2024 through COP30 in Brazil in 2025.
Recognizing the importance of this issue, Brazil鈥檚 G20 Presidency has acknowledged UNESCO 鈥榮 contribution to shaping the global discourse on information integrity and environmental action.
UNESCO played a key role throughout the process, contributing two pivotal reports: , and . UNESCO鈥檚 and other instruments and networks from the Internet for Trust initiative were important part of the Organization鈥檚 contribution.
The ministerial declaration underscores addresses the importance of access to and analysis of information as critical components of building societal resilience against disinformation and misinformation. It encourages investments in online safety education and digital media and information literacy to raise awareness and assist users in identifying and mitigating risks of online harms, which disproportionally affect women and girls.
In the declaration, G20 members also refer to the interactions with countries, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to promote information integrity and combat disinformation, hate speech and threats to public institutions online.
As part of these efforts, the G20 highlight the announcement of Brazil鈥檚 presidency of the 鈥淕lobal Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change鈥 which will be developed in partnership with the United Nations, UNESCO and interested countries. This initiative aims to foster reliable information ecosystems to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change.
