Countering harmful information to electoral integrity in Libya

The workshop aimed at strengthening the institutional capacities of the Commission and its partners in protecting the electoral process from digital threats and misleading media. The workshop was attended by several senior staff members from HNEC Communication Department, the Media Monitoring Unit, and the Filter project. A representative from the Independent Libyan Media Organization and a representative from Aked.ly, a platform owned by the government's General Authority for Content Monitoring, also participated.

This workshop provided an opportunity for consultation and exchange of ideas on updating the roadmap developed at an earlier stage. This was achieved by assessing what had been accomplished, evaluating ways to develop and ensure its sustainability, and exploring and learning from the most notable comparative experiences in combating harmful information that undermines the integrity of elections, particularly at the level of election management bodies

The workshop featured in-depth discussions on key challenges and potential solutions, particularly focused on reviewing the experience of the Filter project and the outcomes of the collaboration between HNEC and International IDEA in developing monitoring mechanisms. Participants shared experiences on the media strategies needed to build confidence in official electoral information and examined the importance of legal and institutional frameworks that support efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation. 

The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening integration and cooperation between the Commission and both local and international institutions to further strengthen a robust data-protection system to counter any threats that could undermine the will of voters. In their closing remarks, participants emphasized that protecting information is an essential pillar of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. 

This workshop is part of a broader project that aims to improve the protection of electoral processes by countering malign influencing practices and learning from evolving discourse and engagement in six different focus countries. Informed by global best practices and exchanges between partner countries, the project will enable national actors in focus countries to identify suggestions for the way forward, work towards implementing suggestions, and share lessons learned with global audiences. The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by International IDEA.