(Nairobi, 6 November 2024). The United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) and UNESCO, organised consultations with the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) as part of the wider global consultations on the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, in addition to the ongoing sensitization efforts carried out by UNESCO globally on the Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms. PRSK is an umbrella body comprising of public relations and communications professionals serving in various fields including corporates, governments ministries, agencies and parastatal, CSOs, NGOs and developmental organisations.

Founded in 1971, the society exists to promote excellence in their field of practice whilst upholding ethical standards. Members of the PRSK, as chief communicators in their various organisations, work to shape public opinions and enable informed decision making by citizens and as such are critical stakeholders in the consultations.

Ms. Rana Taha welcomed all participants mentioning that the Global Principles were launched in June 2024 as an outcome document of the UN Secretary General’s vison ‘Our Common Agenda’ which was launched in 2021 and proposes key issues of consideration for global corporation within the millennium. She informed the meeting that several convenings had previously been held in Nairobi in an effort to get inputs from diverse stakeholders on the Global Principles. A whole of society approach was alluded to in her remarks, urging members to think of ways on how they can apply the Global Principles in their professional circles, collaborate with other stakeholders in their implementation and envision the economic gains that the principles could have for the country. Further, she emphasised the need for deeper reflection on the contextualisation of the Pact for the Future which was agreed upon by UN member states at the UN General Assembly conference held in New York in September 2024.

Ms. Patricia Ndede, the Vice President of the Public Relations Society of Kenya, gave a brief introduction of the organisation. PRSK boasts of 5000 registered members serving in diverse sectors. She urged members to actively participate in the discussions as they would prove beneficial for their professional growth and practice.  


II.    Overview of the UNESCO Guidelines for the governance of digital platforms (Ms. Louise Haxthausen, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa)
Ms. Louise Haxthausen gave a brief overview of the UNECSO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms which focus on safeguarding the freedom of expression and access to information through a multi-stakeholder approach. The governance of digital platforms serves as prerequisite for information integrity, contributing to the overall UN process of a human rights centred model for digital governance and the UN wide process of implementation of the Global Digital Compact. She added that the guidelines were not to be considered as a content moderation, but rather as a tool to aid Member States in actualizing policies that uphold information integrity, freedom of expression, access to information and protection from any harms that are bound to arise in digital spaces. The five key principles that were mentioned include: platforms’ transparency, checks and balances, openness and accessibility, protection and promotion of cultural diversity and diverse expertise in regulatory arrangements. She concluded by urging members to explore the linkages between the Global Principles and the UNESCO Guidelines and how they can both marry to develop strong policies for the country.


III.    The UN Global Principles for Information Integrity (Sandra Macharia, Director, UN Information Service, Nairobi) 
Ms. Sandra Macharia presented the Global Principles for Information Integrity, citing that the global principles were under deliberations globally, engaging multiple stakeholders across the information ecosystem. She reported that in September 2024, UN member states unanimously voted for the Pact of the Future together with its annexes - the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. Ms. Sandra emphasized the centrality of the SDGs in the work of the UN which form the lens through which the UN is advocating the Global Principles. In instances of mis/disinformation and hate speech, the SDGs are affected and by extension the rights of all citizens. The five global principles highlighted were as below:

  • Societal trust: Information sources should be reliable in order to solidify the social contract. It also addresses the resilience of the society in handling disruptions that arise in the information ecosystem.
  • Healthy Incentives: Seeks to address information integrity from the lens of the current business models which depend heavily on advertising and content monetization, calling for enhanced transparency and a huma rights-based approach to advertising.
  • Public Empowerment: The public should have control over their online experience enabling them to make informed decisions, contribute to their own personal development and express themselves freely.
  • Independent, free and pluralistic media: Free and independent media is under threat from the mass migration onto the digital space and the increased attacks against journalists, thanks to rapid technological advancements such as in the field of AI. Such factors have led to a decline in revenue for most media houses around the world in addition to poor public opinion and distrust of the media. For the media to survive, they require support from their governments in form of protection and investment to enable them to freely report and inform the public. 
  • Transparency and research: For citizens to make informed decisions and better understand the information ecosystem, there should be increased transparency by technology companies, allowing for open and clear communication on the risks and benefits of data sourcing, data regulation and overall digital experience.

The presentation concluded with a call to action focused on the five identified areas within the scope of the global principles being: integration of safety from design to delivery informed by human rights standards and upholding legal standards especially for content moderation, advocating for business models that advance human rights, establishing transparency and accountability to enforce industry and professional standards and redress mechanisms,  empowering the user to allow for informed consent, digital literacy, user feedback, and media coverage of information integrity and finally, collaboration with stakeholders and coalitions.


IV.     Plenary discussion and Q&A (Moderator: Rana Taha, Peace and Development Advisor in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Kenya)
a.    Is the level of ambition of the Global Principles adequate in our context? 
Participants acknowledged the relevance of the global principles and suggested integrating them into university curricula, fostering public awareness, and establishing knowledge-sharing frameworks for less technologically adept communities. Regulatory feedback pointed to the need for government-endorsed fact-checking mechanisms and public accountability structures. Information manipulation and information interference were also noted to affect information integrity but are seldom noticed.  It is difficult to fact check information such as public opinion, which can be easily manipulated thus affecting information integrity.  The Global Principles could help to set out a clear guideline to identify such information and properly address them.
b.    How do we take forward the recommendations actions in our respective sectors? (operationalisation) 
Recommendations included boosting collaboration with government bodies, promoting platform accountability, and supporting tech solutions for transparency. The media was urged to explore partnerships that would advance evidence-based reporting and empower community-led media initiatives such as: sourcing for funding to support fact checking desks that can allow for both factual reporting and a sustainable business model based on ethical guidelines such as those proposed by the global guidelines. Additionally, mention was made of the Institute of Public Relations and Communications Management Bill (IPRAC Bill) of 2022, into which the global principles could be infused in order to legitimise the practice of the principles across the profession.
c.    What are the opportunities for measuring impact?
Suggestions included establishing frameworks to assess the reach and impact of information integrity efforts, aligning them with existing UN and government monitoring systems including contributing to the reporting of the Global Principles.

Summary and next steps  (Ms. Noella Mutanda, Secretary-General of the Public Relations Society of Kenya)

Key Recommendations:

  • Training for PRSK members, media and other key stakeholders: Emphasized comprehensive training for communicators, public relations practitioners and the media on the global principles and the global guidelines to promote evidence-based reporting and transparency. 
  • Commitment forms: Proposal was made to have PRSK members assent to signing commitment forms as a standard practice in the profession holding themselves accountable to the Global Principles. Since an organization is as good as the information that they share, members were urged to incorporate the Global Principles into their organisations’ communication strategies which would bolster brand loyalty and increase public trust and confidence in their organisations.
  • PRSK Policies: A proposal was made to have the Global Principles incorporated into the IPRAC Bill and PRSK code of conduct in order to legitimise them and measure impact. 
  • Strengthening Collaborations: Encouraged partnerships between PRSK, UNESCO, other key stakeholders and the broader UN to foster ethical information practices through joint initiatives. PRSK is currently pursuing an MoU with the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) in addition to having an existing one with the Media Council of Kenya.
  • Engagement of Government & Private Sector: The PRSK are domiciled within the Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy making them a key interlocutor for the UN on the Global Principles and Global Guidelines with the Government of Kenya. Big tech companies and digital platforms were also called upon to commit to measures of combating misinformation and hate speech, ensuring the accountability of the information ecosystem.
  • Promoting Research and Knowledge Transfer: Invest in research initiatives to facilitate the development of tools and frameworks that make reliable information more accessible, particularly for communities with limited technological literacy. UNESCO was called upon to offer training to the communicators on the Global Guidelines. Invitation was made to the UN agencies present attend the 2024 PRSK Summit where approximately 700 – 1000 communication practitioners will be present. Additionally, PRSK have monthly seminars to discuss on topical issues as well as CPD trainings whereby programs can be curated to incorporate the guidelines.

V.    Overview of the Pact for The Future, and its two annexes the Global Digital Compact (the nexus with the Global Principles for Information Integrity) and the Declaration on Future Generations. (Sandra Macharia, Director, UN Information Service, Nairobi)

 
Summit of the Future:
The Pact for the Future and its annexes - the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, were adopted by consensus on 22 September 2024 at the Summit of the Future. The Summit took place over the course of two days, with plenary sessions and four interactive dialogues held in parallel from 22-23 September 2024. It was attended by over 4,000 individuals represented by heads of state and government, observers, intergovernmental organizations, UN System, civil society, and non-governmental organizations. 

Pact for the Future overview:
This is a culmination of a year-long process to adapt international cooperation to the present and future realities, ensuring that international institutions can deliver in the face of a changing world. It is the most wide-ranging international agreement after many years, covering both new areas and issues on which agreement had not been possible in decades. It contains clear commitments and deliverables on:
-    Sustainable development and financing (12 actions in Chapter 1 of the Pact)
-    Peace and security (13 actions in Chapter 2 of the Pact)
-    Digital cooperation (6 actions in Chapter 3 of the Pact and 5 sets of objectives in the Global Digital Compact)
-    Youth and future generations (4 actions in Chapter 4 of the Pact and 9 actions in the Declaration on Future Generations)
-    Global governance (18 actions in Chapter 5 of the Pact)
-    There is a commitment to review overall implementation of the Pact at the beginning of the 83rd General Assembly session (2028).

Implementation and Follow up:

The Summit and the Pact for the Future were historic achievements whose success can only be realized through setting up measures to ensure close collaboration and coordination across the UN system, with member states and key stakeholders, at the global, regional and national levels. In addition to dedicated provisions across the Pact and its annexes for follow-up action, there is the:
-    High-level review of the Global Digital Compact in 2027
-    High-level plenary meeting on Future Generations in 2028
-    Heads of State and Government meeting in 2028 for a comprehensive review of the Pact for the Future
Implementation will take place in a wide variety of intergovernmental events and processes starting immediately. Other international fora, such as the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the Second World Summit for Social Development and the upcoming UN Climate Change Conferences will also be key opportunities to build on the outcomes of the Pact. 

Summary 
The event called upon communicators such as are the PRSK members to uphold integrity in the communication practice. Partnership building with government, the UN, digital platforms and big tech companies, private sector, CSOs and NGOs was greatly empathized. Members Continuous learning was also underscored in order to establish the linkages between information integrity in communication, governance, economic development and human for better policy making and practice. Ms. Ndede concluded by expressing her hope for continued engagement in future forums, envisioning broader stakeholder involvement to strengthen the shared mission of upholding information integrity. UNESCO took the opportunity to announce the upcoming UNESCO training on AI and the Rule of Law targeted at the judiciary, reinforcing the role of justice systems in combating disinformation and enhancing information integrity and ended her remarks by reaffirming UNESCO’s readiness to continue the discussions and work closely with stakeholders to strengthen information integrity in the region. Finally, Ms. Macharia concluded by informing members of future plans to reconvene similar discussions which will continue to build on the shared commitment towards achieving information integrity in Kenya and fully implementing the principles for a shared prosperity.