PILON (The Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network) and the Council of Europe through the Glacy+ project, teamed up in delivering a webinar dedicated to Countering Disinformation in the Pacific region, on 26 November 2021.

While disinformation has long been a challenge to democracy, the digital age requires a renewed commitment to match the scale, speed, and pervasiveness of online information threats. Meaningful access to a healthy information environment is integral to the functioning of free, rights-respecting societies; as such, countering disinformation and promoting information integrity are necessary priorities for ensuring democracy can thrive globally in the years to come.

Experts of the Council of Europe, the Pacific Fusion Centre, the Kiribati Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development, and the Kingdom of Tonga Attorney-General’s Office shared views and experiences in tackling disinformation, identifying challenges and opportunities to prosecuting disinformation and how international frameworks can enhance domestic approaches to countering disinformation.

The workshop was held online and sparked the interest of over 55 participants from 10 countries in the Pacific and from several other countries around the globe.

The Council of Europe has been partnering with PILON for few years and will continue to cooperate in raising awareness on the cyber threats and finding mutual approaches to augment the harmonisation of national cybercrime legal frameworks in the Pacific region.