KATHMANDU, MARCH 7

UNESCO, in collaboration with the Federal Parliament Secretariat, organized a discussion on the Social Media Bill 2081 with Members of Parliament from the National Assembly and House of Representatives.

The workshop, held on February 5–6, convened parliamentarians from various parliamentary committees alongside national and international experts to review key elements of the proposed legislation and provide recommendations to align it with international human rights standards.

The workshop aimed to empower MPs to foster a legal regulatory environment that fosters and promotes information integrity focusing on international standards of freedom of expression and access to information and on the importance of a multistakeholder approach on social media regulation, according to the press release issued by UNESCO.

'Social media has both positives and negatives,' stated Indira Rana, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. She underscored that 'great power comes with great responsibility. Nepal government needs to ask itself, does this bill protect our citizens' rights or just provide more power for the government to control freedom of expression.'

Strengthening the capacity building processes that UNESCO has driven since February–March and September 2024, this event engaged key stakeholders to discuss the importance of reviewing the recently proposed social media bill through human rights and multistakeholder approach. The legislative review process will be of utmost importance to ensure and an outcome that aligns to international human rights standards, reflects global best practices and attends Nepal's specific needs, the release further stated.

Ahead of the workshop, UNESCO conducted a comprehensive review of Nepal's Social Media Bill 2081, guided by international human rights principles and the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.

Dr. Joan Barata Mir, a Senior Consultant for UNESCO, developed a legal analysis to inform the bill's revision process.

Independent experts participating in the workshop emphasized the necessity of a thorough review of the bill to uphold human rights as enshrined in both international frameworks and Nepal's Constitution. They also commended Parliament's willingness to engage with the multistakeholder community for a deeper understanding of digital platform governance.

'In any case, when regulating digital platforms, you must do your part and ensure that governments do theirs. The responsibility does not fall solely on digital platforms; it also depends on others creating an environment that enables freedom of expression. This requires various duties from government actors,' said Ana Cristina Ruelas, Senior Programme Specialist on Freedom of Expression at UNESCO stressing Freedom of expression thrives when governance mechanisms are independent, open, transparent, and accountable.