On 13 and 14 November 2023, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, participated in the OECD conference Tackling Disinformation: Strengthening Democracy through Information Integrity.
Ambassador Baiba Braže represented Latvia in a panel discussion on Coordinating Within and Across Governments – Priorities and Challenges. She emphasised that not only cooperation between partners and international organisations but also close coordination at the national level play an important role in tackling misleading or false content. “Institutions’ ability to reach their target audiences strategically, with evidence-based, credible public communication, is key to achieving public trust,” said Baiba Braže, noting that a transparent approach to identifying misinformation, including proactive communication and audience engagement, is crucial.
The conference addressed effective solutions to reduce false or misleading information, recent research on the involvement of artificial intelligence in combatting disinformation, the risks of misleading content in development aid projects and the role of traditional media in the information space. The content of the conference is shaped by the OECD DIS/MIS Resource Hub, a platform for the exchange of good practices and experience, not only in combatting disinformation but also in media literacy, public education and addressing risks in the information space.
During her visit, Baiba Braže met with Elsa Pilichowski, Director for Public Governance, and Director for Communications (a.i.), OECD, to discuss the role of the organisation in finding more effective solutions for democratic resilience, as well as Latvia’s approach to developing its strategic communications capacity and strengthening the security of the information space.