The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR/RFOE) presents the list of members of the Expert Group on deliberate disinformation in electoral contexts.  With the support of the Mexican Electoral National Institution (INE), the Group will meet on April 23-24, 2019, at the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City.

24 international experts were selected and invited based on their individual background and on their experience in the implementation of relevant public policies, and their participation in academic investigations, civil society organizations, and internet companies; with the objective of setting the stage for a multidisciplinary and multisector discussion on online disinformation and the threats it poses for electoral processes. You can access the complete list of experts and institutions here.

The Expert Group will analyze topics related to the causes, impacts and responses to the phenomenon of disinformation and elections in the region, with the objective of reaching conclusions and recommendations, and contribute to the elaboration of a "practical guideline of recommendations for guaranteeing freedom of expression and access to information from a variety of Internet sources during electoral processes without improper interference" (AG / RES. 2928). The Office of the Special Rapporteur received the mandate from the OAS General Assembly, to advance, in coordination with the OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) and the Department of International Law (DIL), the elaboration of said document.

According to the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly in its 48th Period of Sessions, there is a widespread concern of OAS Member States linked to the phenomenon of misinformation –understood as the massive dissemination of false information that is made (i) knowingly false and (ii) with the intention of deceiving the public or a fraction of it. Addressing such a complex and newly developing phenomenon requires a multi-stakeholder approach.

In previous months, the Office of the Special Rapporteur led a public call for contributions to receive studies and inputs on the phenomenon of deliberate misinformation. The Office wishes to thank those organizations and individuals who responded to the call and sent relevant inputs for this process. Contributions were used for, and included, in the draft of the document “Disinformation in electoral contexts: Evidence, challenges, and actions”, prepared by this office to serve as a baseline for the discussion. Once the Experts Group meeting reaches its end, the Office will publish the aforementioned documents together with the recommendations produced during the discussion sessions.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur appreciates the joint work with the OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) and the Department of International Law (DIL) in the fulfillment of this mandate. The process also involves multilateral organizations -such as UNESCO-, civil society organizations, electoral bodies of the region, representatives of the private sector, and academics.