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The event also featured the launch of a new publication “” as part of UNESCO’s Report on World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development.

The publication draws upon a comprehensive review of existing studies and investigations, that was compiled by for the Internet For Trust conference held in Paris in February.

Guilherme Canela, UNESCO’s Chief of Section for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, introduced the session by providing an overview of the consultation process for UNESCO’s Guidelines for a multistakeholder approach for regulating digital platforms. He highlighted that the process received over 5,000 responses from diverse stakeholders, all of which are available online as a resource for researchers.

Canela emphasised the value of these guidelines in establishing a common human rights approach for all stakeholders, particularly as many governments are already seeking to regulate platforms. The experts addressing the issues during the session offered their perspectives:  

• Jeremy Stern, of Toronto Metropolitan University and convenor of an IAMCR side-event at UNESCO’s February conference, expressed the enthusiasm of academic engagement in globally significant policy-relevant process such as UNESCO’s.
• Aimée Vega Montiel, Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico highlighted the need to integrate gender equality throughout the guidelines.
• Robin Mansell from the London School of Economics urged that the guidelines be framed within governance, arguing that the term “regulation” tends to imply governmental rather than multistakeholder control.
• Steph Hill, Co-chair of IAMCR’s Emerging Scholars Network and working at the University of Leicester, raised questions regarding the practical implementation of guidelines, especially in countries with top-down rule-making contexts.
• Bruce Mutsvairo, UNESCO Chair on Disinformation, Data and Democracy at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, emphasised the importance of actively seeking perspectives from rural communities on the issue of platform regulation.

Since September 2022, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� been actively engaging in a multi-stakeholder consultation process to develop guidelines for regulating digital platforms. These guidelines aim to safeguard freedom of expression and access to information with the context of digital platform regulatory processes.

For more information about the consultation process, please visit the website.