African regulators working together to advance human rights-based digital platform governance

The session formed part of UNESCO's broader commitment to fostering an "internet for trust" in close cooperation with Honorable Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa. Under the ACHPR Resolutions 630 and 631, the Special Rapporteur is mandated to develop guidelines for African Union Member States to integrate African perspectives into global digital governance efforts and ensure that policy frameworks reflect regional needs and realities. These guidelines aim to oversight technology companies' responsibilities in upholding information integrity, including through the development of independent fact-checking mechanisms and a forward-looking policy for universal access to public service content. The final guidelines are expected to be presented by the Special Rapporteur to the African Union Commission in May 2026, after consultations with stakeholders.

This initiative builds on UNESCO's Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms published in 2023, which promote a human rights-based and multistakeholder approach to digital governance. It also draws on the outcomes of the Regional Conference on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel held in Praia in September 2025., The Praia Action Plan and the Model Policy Framework , which were adopted at this Conference, reinforce the embedding of African regulatory perspectives into continental policy processes.