At iVerfiy launch: UN calls for the promotion of political tolerance & peaceful communication.

The UN system in Sierra Leone today joined calls for citizens and non-citizens, state and non-state actors, representatives of government institutions, religious leaders, and political leaders to take responsibility to combat disinformation, misinformation and hate speech through the promotion of political tolerance and peaceful communication.

This call was made by UN Resident Coordinator Babatunde Ahonsi when he joined members of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Independent Radio Network (IRN), BBC Media Action, UNDP, government, and other state institutions to launch the iVerify platform.

The platform, made possible by donors including the UN Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP, Ireland, European Union, Canada, and Iceland, aims at identifying and mitigating disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.

In his keynote address at the Swiss Hotel in Freetown, Mr Ahonsi said that the advance of the Internet, social media and Artificial Intelligence has contributed to inclusion, transparency, and participation of citizens in governance.

However, he emphasised this “also carries risks and challenges to the integrity of the information landscape with ramifications on democratic processes”.

According to him, misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech remain a major challenge as the country moves towards general elections in June this year.

“Over the past two years, the country has seen a flood of hateful statements on social media perpetrated, mainly, by political rivals in the country and abroad,” he cited.

For the RC, the fight against disinformation, misinformation and hate speech remains a shared responsibility of all, especially as the UN has developed the iVerify tool to facilitate identification and fact-checking of potential misrepresented contents, particularly in election times as information travels from social media to radio channels and the public.

He maintained that tolerance is a key ingredient of democracy, implying acceptance and respect for diversity and political pluralism. Therefore, he commended the Political Party Regulation Commission for its efforts to maintain a space for dialogue among political parties.

He also encouraged them, together with the government, the Electoral Commission, the Police, and the security sector, to ensure a level-playing field for all political parties and actors and increase efforts to foster political tolerance. “We also call on opposition parties to join hands with state institutions and act responsibly, equally promoting tolerance and peace,” stated Mr Ahonsi.

The RC used his remarks to emphasize that women and young people have a key role to play in the present and future of democracy and that engaging them to participate safely and constructively in politics, either as voters, activists, or candidates, are core aspects of any effort to sustain democracy.

He concluded that launching the iVerify platform was an important milestone in underlining and re-emphasizing “our joint commitment and collective responsibility to strengthen information integrity.”

Highlights of the event included a demonstration of the use of the platform and statements made by SLAJ and the Inter-religious Council.

Also in attendance was the UNDP Resident Representative Pa Lamin Beyai.