ASEAN backs UN’s efforts in combating fake news, disinformation
The United Nations (UN) Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee) held its 17th plenary session in New York on November 5, focusing on information issues.
Participants emphasised the pressing challenges of fake news and disinformation, especially concerning armed conflicts, climate change, and rising sea levels. They also reiterated the need to safeguard information integrity, highlighting the pervasive spread of false information, particularly online.
Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, affirmed ASEAN’s support for the UN’s role in upholding information integrity and addressing the global misinformation crisis. ASEAN urged the UN to prioritise clear, timely, evidence-based, and transparent public communications, integrating it into strategic management.
Giang said that Vietnam underscores the importance of accurate, transparent communication from the UN to counter misinformation worldwide. He advocated for a central role in integrating reliable information into strategic management and highlighted the UN's need to address misinformation, hate speech, and incitement.
Representatives from ASEAN member states also called for enhanced digital strategies to support the Sustainable Development Goals, stressing the urgency of improving resilience against cyber threats and attacks on essential information infrastructure. ASEAN’s ongoing efforts, including the 2023 Da Nang Declaration on Communications, aim to build a secure, people-centered information ecosystem aligned with ASEAN values.
In support of these goals, the UN’s “Global Principles for Information Integrity” were released in July, promoting societal trust, public empowerment, media independence, and transparency as pillars for a healthy information environment.
