Tunis — The International Conference on Digital Platform Governance: Building a Global Forum of Networks, will be hosted on June 17-19, 2024 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, the UNESCO announced.
Tunisia will be represented in this conference by Assistant Director-General at UNESCO, in charge of Communication and Information since 2021 Tawfik Jelassi. In this capacity, he oversees UNESCO's initiatives aimed at promoting freedom of expression, leading digital transformation, strategizing the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education, and fostering inclusive knowledge-based societies.
Dr. Jelassi holds a Ph.D. degree from New York University, along with postgraduate diplomas from the University of Paris Dauphine. His career includes serving as the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Information & Communication Technologies in Tunisia. Additionally, he has held positions as Dean and Professor at leading educational institutions such as IMD (Lausanne), INSEAD (Fontainebleau) and Ecole des Ponts (Paris). He also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a leading telecom operator.
A Global Forum of Networks of Regulators
Building on the momentum generated by the "Internet for Trust" conference, the Croatian Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) is hosting an international conference on digital platform governance, with UNESCO' support, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 18 to 19 June 2024, on the occasion of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech (18 June).
The conference will rally international networks of audiovisual media, electronic media, online regulators, and digital platforms representatives against the exponential spread and proliferation of hate speech, discrimination and xenophobia online.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The highlight of the event will be the launch of the "Global Forum of Networks of Regulators," bringing together regulatory authorities to establish a global, collaborative space for discussions and the exchange of best practices in the regulation of digital platforms.
It will bring together over 220 participants: representatives from international organizations, civil society organizations, press councils, governments, digital platforms, and media regulatory authorities were able to exchange during three days of conference.
United Against Hate Speech
In 2022, as part of its broader strategy to counter hate speech online, UNESCO launched the "Internet for Trust" initiative and published the "Guidelines for the governance of digital platforms" on 6 November 2023. These Guidelines aim to safeguard freedom of expression and the right to information while dealing with dis- and misinformation, hate speech, and conspiracy theories online.
The Guidelines define a set of duties, responsibilities, and roles for States, digital platforms, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, media, academic and technical communities, and other stakeholders to create an environment where freedom of expression and information are at the core of digital platform governance processes.
Embracing a multi-stakeholder approach, UNESCO is actively engaged with national and international networks of regulators to champion the initiative and to uphold the principles set in the Guidelines.
