In Pretoria, digital platforms regulators build on UNESCO’s stewardship on accountability and transparency

The Proposition for action moves beyond declarations by focusing on structured cooperation. It aims to strengthen coordination among regulators across the Global North and South, promote shared compliance standards, and establish mechanisms for peer learning and follow-up. In doing so, it builds the institutional architecture necessary for consistent oversight and enforcement.

Importantly, it recognizes that governance cannot rest solely on platforms themselves, nor on regulators acting alone. Civil society, researchers, educators, and affected communities play a critical role in identifying systemic risks, supporting redress mechanisms, and strengthening media and information literacy. For this reason, UNESCO advocates a multistakeholder approach to platform governance.

Accountability is not created by a single instrument; it is built through sustained cooperation, alignment of regulatory frameworks, and continuous oversight. The Proposition for Action is designed as a step in that direction, creating the conditions under which meaningful accountability becomes possible.