MRA Backs  Adoption Of Information Integrity In West Africa, Sahel

Posted by Ignatius Okpara African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, September 8th, 2025

 (AFRICAN EXAMINER) –  Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has welcomed the adoption of a Policy Framework connected Information Integrity successful West Africa and the Sahel, describing it arsenic a timely and indispensable measurement towards addressing the increasing challenges of disinformation, misinformation, and different threats to the accusation ecosystem successful the region.

 The result papers was adopted connected September 5, 2025 astatine the extremity of a three-day multi-stakeholder Regional Conference connected Information Integrity successful West Africa and the Sahel, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of Cape Verde.

Recalled that the league took spot connected September 3 to 5, 2025 successful Praia, superior of Cape Verde.

 The 19-page Policy Framework, which seeks to foster spot successful the accusation ecosystem, arsenic good arsenic beforehand integer level governance and quality rights was adopted successful effect to rising threats to accusation integrity arsenic the portion continues to witnesser a increasing proliferation of disinformation and hatred speech, arsenic good arsenic the misuse of integer and emerging technologies to harm citizens, different populations and societies.

 In a connection by its Programme Officer, Ms Adesewa Akintokun, made disposable to newsmen connected Monday by its Communications serviceman Idowu  Adewale , MRA commended the efforts of the UNESCO, governments, determination institutions, and civilian nine stakeholders who contributed to the improvement of the framework.

 “At a clip erstwhile the dispersed of mendacious and misleading accusation undermines democracy, fuels conflict, and erodes nationalist spot successful institutions, this inaugural provides an important blueprint for fostering a healthier and much resilient accusation environment.”

 She said MRA is peculiarly encouraged by the framework’s accent connected upholding cardinal rights, including state of look and entree to information, portion promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical standards crossed some authorities and non-state actors.

The programme officer, stressed that “this balanced attack is captious to ensuring that efforts to combat harmful contented bash not go a pretext for censorship oregon suppression of morganatic expression.”

 Ms Akintokun, however,  described the adoption of the Policy Framework, on with the “Praia Action Plan for Information Integrity successful West Africa and the Sahel” and the “Guide for Regulators to Implement the Information Integrity Model Policy Information and Framework successful West Africa and the Sahel” arsenic affirmative milestones.

The connection noted that the existent measurement of the Framework’s occurrence volition beryllium connected the effectiveness of its implementation.

 She truthful urged each stakeholders to show the governmental will, commitment, and collaboration indispensable to construe the important papers into factual actions that volition beforehand accusation integrity and antiauthoritarian resilience successful West Africa and the Sahel.

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