By Kumba Leigh
The Institute of Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA recently engaged human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists on a day long discussion in examining the impact of disinformation, and misinformation on human rights.
The day-long session on the theme: “Promoting rights, respecting approaches to tackling disinformation, misinformation, and freedom of expression’ was held at the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa Gambia office in Bijilo. It accorded stakeholders the opportunity to discuss issues surrounding legislative responses, and restrictions on disinformation and misinformation among others.
In an interview with the Legal and Policy Officer Article 19 West Africa, Ms Bintou Jaiteh, she affirmed that the objective of the workshop is to build the capacities of media practitioners, human rights defenders and lawyers on the legal approaches , way forward in understanding the regulatory frameworks and responses to disinformation and misinformation.
She added that the project targeted five countries; namely; Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Gambia, and Niger.
She said over the past years, governments have introduced legal restrictions against disinformation, misinformation and mal information on social media due to the recent emergence of false and misleading information around issues of COVID- 19 and other sensitive issues.
This she added, have prompted governments to come up with new legislative restrictions to protecting people from defamatory remarks of disinformation, and guide electoral integrity.
“You realise that majority of these laws that restrict disinformation, and misinformation are already broad in scope and pursue aims that are not considered legitimate by International Human Rights Standards (IHRS) due their disproportionate representation,” Ms Jaiteh posited.
She observed that there is a significant gap in strategic and concerted advocacy by CSOs, and the media in both national and regional levels; hence the limited sensitisation on the threats and dangers it can cause.
Therefore, such training, she said will help expose participants to good professional practices, and understanding of policies. She added that participants will be part of the national and regional advocacy network as disinformation and misinformation response teams.
