Consultation process
UNESCO鈥檚 global mandate, which includes the promotion of 鈥渢he free flow of ideas by word and image鈥, has guided the Organization鈥檚 work for nearly 80 years as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter for international cooperation. This history has shaped our mandate within the United Nations system to protect and promote freedom of expression, access to information, and safety of journalists.
In November 2021, the UNESCO鈥檚 41st General Conference endorsed the principles of the , following a multistakeholder process that began at the global celebration of World Press Freedom Day in May of that year.
In light of this, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 developed, through multistakeholder consultations and a global dialogue, Guidelines for Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in the Governance of Digital Platforms: A Multistakeholder Approach (the Guidelines).
Building the Guidelines
In 2015, UNESCO鈥檚 General Conference endorsed the ROAM principles, which highlight the importance of human rights, openness, accessibility, and multi-stakeholder participation to the development, growth, and evolution of the internet. UNESCO鈥檚 Secretariat developed, also following multi-stakeholder consultations, the Internet Universality Indicators. The Indicators were recognized in November 2018 at the 31st Session of UNESCO鈥檚 Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
The multistakeholder approach for the development of any kind of guidance related to the digital ecosystem is the overall strategy adopted by the UN system, including UNESCO, since the World Summit for the Information Society (2005) and reaffirmed by the UN General Assembly during the 10 years review process in 2015.
In May 2022, UNESCO initiated a global conversation on the regulation of digital platforms. Our goal was not to simply react to the harms that have emerged online, but to proactively foster peace, dialogue, and understanding in the digital sphere.
Finally, in November 2023, UNESCO published the Guidelines after three open consultations, more than 10,000 comments and the engagement of people from 134 countries.
UNESCO in partnership with the Innovation for Policy Foundation, developed the Case Study: Participatory Development of the Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, which describes how the consultation shaped the Guidelines and the lessons learned during the three open consultations.
Research
UNESCO鈥檚 approach was rigorous, evidence-based and informed by eight decades of multilateral policymaking in the area of freedom of expression and in the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. Thus, UNESCO commissioned studies, that served as a groundwork of knowledge to the conceptualization of the Guidelines and for facilitating public engagement:
, reviewed more than 800 academic, civil society, journalistic, and corporate documents to produce the policy brief "".鈥&苍产蝉辫;
罢丑别鈥痯rovided insights into the perspectives of whistleblowers and tech journalists related to digital platform regulation.
罢丑别鈥痯repared an鈥痶hat were relevant to the issue of regulating platforms, with a focus on the implications of freedom of expression given the unique way they disseminate information. The research also included a comparative analysis of how the European Union and different States have sought to regulate platforms.
A survey on the impact of online disinformation and hate speech conducted by for UNESCO in 2023 interviewed over 8,000 respondents across 16 countries where elections will be held in 2024.
Four different versions of the document were produced and were the subject of three open consultations including one during鈥痶he Internet for Trust Global Conference that took place in UNESCO Headquarters in February 2023.
Feedback from consultations on all versions of the Guidelines are available here: Draft 1.1, Draft 2.0 and Draft 3.0
Detailed results from the 3 open consultations
| Guidelines version | Draft1.1 | Draft2.0 | Draft3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation period | Dec 2022-Jan 2023 | Feb-March2023 | April-June2023 |
| Submissions | 64 | 414 | 1,062 |
| Comments | 965 | 3,236 | 6,214 |
| Countries | 24 | 59 | 70 |
| Regions* | 59% Europe and North America, 14% Latin America and the Caribbean,7% Asia and the Pacific, 5% Africa, 1% Arab States | 60% Europe and North America, 12% Latin America and the Caribbean, 12% Asia and the Pacific, 13% Africa, 0.7% Arab States | 12% Europe and North America, 21% Latin America and the Caribbean, 10% Asia and the Pacific, 54% Africa, 0.5% Arab States |
| Stakeholder groups** | 43% Civil Society, 26 % Public sector authorities,11% Academia and technical community,10% Private Sector,4% International Organization | 40% Civil Society and media, 25% Public sector authorities, 11% Academia and technical community,27% Private Sector, 1% International organizations | 60% Civil Society and media, 6% Public sector authorities, 7% Academia and technical community, 15% Private Sector, 3% International organizations |
Percentages in the table have been rounded. There were comments where respondents did not identify the region or stakeholder group.
* Data from draft 1.1 and 2 are based on the total number of comments. Data from draft 3.0 is based on total number of submissions due to the developments in methodology throughout the consultation process.
** Data from draft 1.1 and 2 are based on the total number of comments. Data from draft 3.0 is based on total number of submissions due to the developments in methodology throughout the consultation process.