KATHMANDU, MARCH 28
Parliamentarians, civil society representatives and academics from across South Asia have called for a rights-based approach to digital platform governance, stressing the need to safeguard freedom of expression and access to information.
The call came at the conclusion of a four-day regional workshop organised by UNESCO in collaboration with Tribhuvan University and supported by the European Union, under the Internet for Trust (I4T) initiative.
Held from March 24 to 27 at Tribhuvan University, the workshop brought together more than 90 participants, including regulators, lawmakers, policymakers, journalists and digital governance experts from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Participants reviewed national-level findings and validated draft regional toolkits aimed at promoting accountability, transparency and inclusive participation in digital platform governance. The discussions highlighted key challenges such as misinformation, threats to freedom of expression and the need for greater platform accountability.
UNESCO Regional Advisor for South Asia Ma'aly Hazzaz emphasised the importance of a context-sensitive, rights-based framework for digital governance, while EU Ambassador to Nepal Veronique Lorenzo reaffirmed support for a human-centric digital future.
The workshop also validated two regional toolkits-one for policymakers and regulators and another for civil society-developed jointly by academic institutions in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to operationalise UNESCO's guidelines.
Participants further engaged in a simulation exercise addressing governance of AI-driven content systems, focusing on tackling misinformation and harmful content through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Head of the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Tribhuvan University, Kundan Aryal, stressed integrating digital governance principles into journalism education.
Concluding the event, UNESCO Nepal Representative Jaco du Toit said the discussions in Kathmandu contribute to shaping a global movement for an open, safe and inclusive internet grounded in human rights.
UNESCO reiterated its commitment to supporting member states in strengthening transparent and rights-based digital governance frameworks.