On 19 March 2024, during the third Democracy Summit in Seoul, South Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada and a non-governmental organisation, Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD), held a panel discussion on “Safeguarding Information Integrity in the Digital Age”. The discussion was moderated by Viktors Makarovs, the Special Envoy on Digital Issues at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the discussion, experts from governments, academia and civil society from various regions across the globe exchanged views on the role of artificial intelligence in the information space. Viktors Makarovs underlined that democracies had the right tools to protect the integrity of information in the age of artificial intelligence, but they must work together while learning from each other and building global norms.
Participants looked at the ways to effectively address information manipulation risks heightened by artificial intelligence, while respecting fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. The UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that everyone may enjoy those rights, which are independent of any other circumstances. Latvia, running as a candidate for a non-permanent member’s seat on the UN Security Council, advocates for the security, sustainability and development of digital technologies. Together with its partners, Latvia promotes the resilience of the digital environment to potential risks posed by artificial intelligence to the integrity of information.
Background information
On 2022 and 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada and a non-governmental organisation, Alliance for Securing Democracy co-led the Cohort for Information Integrity created in the framework of the Summit for Democracy. The panel discussion was a continuation to their successful cooperation.
The project was co-financed under the lobby campaign of Latvia’s candidacy for an elected seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term of 2026–2027.
