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Concept Note: Global Best Practices for Ensuring Access to Information Contributes to Upholding and Safeguarding Information Integrity
Overview
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- Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026 Sierra Leone
- Session Type: Plenary Panel 1 – Day 2 (29th September 2026)
- Moderator: ..............
- Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
The global information ecosystem faces unprecedented threats from deliberate disinformation, accidental misinformation, and trust erosion. Access to Information (ATI) is a fundamental human right and a powerful structural antidote to these challenges. When citizens enjoy unhindered access to verified, proactive public data, rumours and fake news lose their power.
Hosting this critical dialogue as part of this historic conference, highlights the unique challenges and opportunities faced by countries all over the world, especially developing democracies. It emphasizes the need to build resilient information ecosystems through strong legal frameworks and local digital literacy. This panel will not only examine how Information Commissioners can transition from reactive data release to proactive guardians of truth and information integrity, but how they can use this platform to share global best practices of accessing credible data.
Session Objectives
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- Analyze Frameworks: Evaluate global statutory frameworks linking ATI directly to information integrity.
- Share Strategies: Highlight proactive disclosure mechanisms that successfully counter public disinformation.
- Strengthen Collaboration: Build institutional ties between oversight bodies, civil society, and tech platforms.
- Empower Regulators: Equip Information Commissioners with toolkits to combat algorithmic bias and digital harms.
Focus Areas:
Practive Disclosure as a Shield:
Utilizing open-data portals to pre-emptively debunk false narratives.
Institutional Independence: Ensuring freedom of information bodies operate without political interference.
Digital Literacy & Inclusion: Bridging the digital divide to ensure rural populations access verified facts.
Co-Regulation with Tech Platforms: Holding digital spaces accountable for data accessibility and clear sourcing.
Expected Outcomes
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- Actionable Toolkit: A published brief detailing five global best practices for immediate institutional deployment.
- Lungi Communiqué Input: Policy recommendations to embed information integrity into the final conference declaration.
- Peer Network: A formalized working group of regulators dedicated to counter-disinformation ATI strategies.
Speakers:
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- Emerlinda Guri Pema, Office of Data Protection and Information Commissioner, Albania (confirmed).
- David Hamilton, Information Commissioner, Scotland, UK (confirmed).
- Genevieve Shirley Lartey, Esq. Executive Secretary/Commissioner, Right to Information Commission, Ghana (confirmed).
- Elizabet Rosana Diaz Valerio de Oviedo, Information Commissioner, Dominican Republic (confirmed)
- Dr Francis Sowa, Media Reform Coordinating Group, Fourah Bay College, University of SL (confirmed)
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Concept Note: Access to Credible Data for Open Government and Public Sector Reform
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Plenary Panel 2 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Moderator: Suliaman Phoray Musa, Director, Public Sector Reform Unit, Sierra Leone
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
Modern public sector reform relies heavily on trust, accountability, and efficiency. Open government initiatives fail when the public data backing them is broken, outdated, or hard to find. Access to credible data is the foundation of a reliable, accountable, and open government. When public bodies publish accurate data, it limits corruption, streamlines public services, and builds deep public trust.
Holding this conversation as part of this historic conference brings a critical focus to the nexus between open government and good governance on the global stage. It highlights how developing nations can leapfrog legacy systems using digital data tools. This session will look at how giving the public access to credible data held by public officials can transform sluggish bureaucracies into open, fast-moving, and accountable public systems.
Session Objectives
· Define Data Credibility: Establish clear global standards for data accuracy, completeness, and open access.
· Showcase Success Stories: Share real-world examples where open data stopped corruption and improved public sector efficiency.
· Support Regulators: Give Information Commissioners the tools they need to make sure government ministries, departments, and agencies share high-quality data.
Focus Areas
· Data-Driven Public Services: Using reliable open data to fix infrastructure and deliver better public goods and services.
· Combating Corruption with Transparency: How open budgets and contracting data keep public funds safe.
· Overcoming Digital and Bureaucratic Hurdles: Modernizing old paper filing systems into secure, open digital registries.
· Citizen-Led Accountability: Empowering journalists and local communities to use public data to monitor government performance.
Expected Outcomes
· Policy Guidance Note: A short guide on best practices for publishing credible data for public sector use.
· Reform Action Points: A checklist for Information Commissioners to measure and enforce data quality in government ministries, departments, and agencies.
· Strengthened Partnerships: New connections between public tech teams, oversight bodies, and civil society to track reform progress.
Speakers
· Jeanette Van Den Bulk, Deputy Information and Privacy Commissioner, British Columbia, Canada (confirmed).
· Carina Paju, Senior Regional Coordinator for Europe and Lead for the Proactive Disclosure Coalition at Open Government Partnership (OGP). (confirmed).
· Alice Linacre PSM, Freedom of Information Commissioner, Australia(confirmed).
· Joseph Munda Bindi, Chairman, National Council for Civic Education and Development, Sierra Leone (Confirmed)
Concept Note: The Challenges of Information Disorder in Africa: Wither Information Integrity?
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Plenary Panel 3 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Host: African Network of Information Commissions (ANIC) in partnership with African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
· Moderator: Winston Chafikana Juma Mwafulirwa, Human Rights Commission, Malawi (confirmed)
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
Information disorder—including the rapid spread of fake news, altered media, and intentional online hate—is a major threat to stability across Africa. During elections, health crises, and economic shifts, false stories spread quickly on social media. This pollution of the information space damages public trust in democratic systems, sparks real-world violence, and buries true information.
As political and digital spaces shift across the continent, finding ways to protect the truth is more urgent than ever. Hosting this main discussion in Lungi as part of this historic conference offers a vital backdrop. West Africa has faced complex information battles during recent elections and health emergencies. This headline session will look closely at how African nations can fight information disorder while protecting the basic right to free speech and open information.
Session Objectives
· Map African Trends: Identify the main types, platforms, and drivers of fake news and digital manipulation across Africa.
· Balance Rights: Find ways to stop harmful lies without letting governments censor political opponents or limit free speech.
· Review Regulatory Frameworks: Assess how African Information Commissioners can use open-data laws to push back against fake news.
· Build Unified Responses: Create regional plans that bring together governments, civil society, fact-checkers, and tech companies.
Focus Areas
· The Anatomy of African Information Disorder: How local languages, hyper-local radio, and closed messaging apps (like WhatsApp) change how fake news spreads.
· Elections and Digital Scams: Protecting the truth during democratic votes from paid political trolls and foreign interference.
· Law vs. Liberty: Navigating the thin line between stopping harmful cyber-lies and protecting internet freedom.
· Proactive Truth as a Weapon: Using fast, open, and reliable public registries to debunk viral rumours before they cause harm.
Expected Outcomes
· Policy Framework: A set of principles to help African Information Commissioners build regional toolkits against fake news.
· Fact-Checking Partnership: A pledge to connect national information offices with local, independent fact-checking organizations.
· Strategic Input for the Freetown Declaration: Drafted points on information integrity to be included in the conference’s final official declaration.
Speakers
· Advocate Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson, ANIC/Information Regulator, South Africa(confirmed).
· Ms Geereeshatopsy Sonoo, African Union Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (confirmed).
· Omar Seghrouchni, President of Data Protection and Access to Information, Kingdom of Morocco(confirmed).
· Anne Marie Konan Payne, Information Commissioner, Cote D’Ivoire (confirmed).
· Neneh Gaye, Chairperson/Commissioner, Right to Access Information, The Gambia(confirmed)
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Parallel Panel 1 Day 2 Concept Note: Gender, youth, and disability: How inequitable access fuels information disorder.
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Parallel Panel 1 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Moderator:
· Location: Lungi, Sierra Leone
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
Information disorder does not affect everyone in the same way. Women, young people, and persons with disabilities face unique hurdles when trying to get reliable information. When these groups are shut out from official channels, it creates an information vacuum. Rumours, digital scams, and targeted online harassment quickly fill that empty space.
Hosting this panel as part of this historic conference brings local realities to the global stage. Across Africa, young people, women, and persons with disabilities are often left behind by digital progress and classic information layouts. If public data is not accessible—like lacking sign language or ignoring youth spaces—harmful lies spread fast. This session will look at how equal access to data is a shield against information disorder.
Session Objectives
· Expose Vulnerabilities: Map how unequal access to data makes women, youth, and disabled groups prime targets for fake news.
· Identify Hurdles: Find the social, technical, and physical barriers that stop these groups from getting verified facts.
· Share Inclusive Solutions: Highlight global best practices for making public registries open and accessible to all.
· Guide Commissions: Give Information Commissioners practical steps to protect marginalized groups from digital harm.
Focus Areas
· Gendered Disinformation: How online lies and deepfakes are weaponized to silence women in public and political spaces.
· Youth, Social Media, and Echo Chambers: Reaching younger generations who ignore traditional media and get news from algorithms.
· Accessible Truth for Persons with Disabilities: Making public data accessible through screen readers, braille, and local sign languages to stop rumors.
· Community-Led Defenses: Empowering local youth groups and women's networks to become trusted fact-checkers in their communities.
Expected Outcomes
· Inclusion Checklist: A short guide for information offices to ensure their data reaches women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
· Policy Input: Text recommendations to ensure the final conference declaration explicitly mentions inclusive access as a tool against fake news.
· Advocacy Network: New partnerships between state regulators and local civil society groups representing vulnerable communities.
Speakers
· Dr Isata Mahoi, Gender and Children’s Minister, Sierra Leone (confirmed).
· Laura Newman, Senior Advisor, Office of the Vice-President for Peace Programs, Carter Centre for Democracy, USA (confirmed).
· Mr Joash T. Hodges, Information Commissioner, Liberia (confirmed).
· Margaret-Jah Maturi, Siera Leone’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Paris (TBC)
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Parallel Panel 2 Day 2 Concept Note: Youth Leadership and Digital Community Spaces in Promoting Information Integrity
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Parallel Panel 2 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Moderator:
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
Young people are the primary architects and users of modern digital spaces. As traditional news media declines, youth rely heavily on platforms like TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram for daily information. However, these spaces are also hotbeds for information disorder, exposing youth to digital manipulation and online scams.
Despite these challenges, young people are not just passive victims of internet rumours. They are creative leaders who use digital spaces to stand up for the truth. Hosting this panel as part of this historic conference brings a critical focus to Africa’s massive youth population. It highlights how young creators use community networks to protect truth and counter information disorder . This session explores how to support youth-led spaces so young people can champion fact-checking and access to information.
Session Objectives
· Elevate Youth Voices: Highlight how young leaders use online communities to fight digital lies and promote truth.
· Bridge the Generational Gap: Help older policy makers and Access to Information (ATI) commissioners understand youth digital trends.
· Map Creative Solutions: Share tools like memes, podcasts, and short videos that youth use to spread verified facts.
· Form Policy Links: Find ways for formal information offices to back and fund grassroot youth digital projects.
Focus Area
· Grassroot Digital Hubs: How WhatsApp groups and online forums act as community newsrooms to stop local rumours.
· Creative Fact-Checking: Using youth culture, music, and art to make true public data exciting and viral.
· Countering Algorithmic Harm: Training youth leaders to spot digital scams and navigate biased online algorithms.
· Co-Creating Public Data: Building partnerships where youth help design open-government portals so they are easy for peers to use.
Expected Outcomes
· Youth Engagement Framework: A guide for Information Commissioners on how to talk to and work with young online communities.
· Digital Peer Network: A new online group connecting West African youth content creators with global data advocates.
Speakers
· Ms Krenare Sogojeva Dërmaku, Information Commissioner of Kosovo (confirmed).
· Amrita Jhori, Right to Information Activist, India (TBC).
· Khairil Yusof, Coordinator - Sinar Project, Malaysia (TBC)
· Dave M Gomez, Acting Secretary, Presidential Communication Office, The Philippines (confirmed).
· Gilbert Ronald Sendugwa Sendugwa, Africa Freedom of Informaiton Centre, Kampala, Uganda (confirmed).
· Prof Olunifesi Adekunle Suraj, Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Nigeria (TBC).
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Panel 3 Day 2 Concept Note: Balancing Right to Information and Right to Privacy/Data Protection in the Context of Beneficial Ownership Transparency
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Parallel Panel 3 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Moderator: Adam Foldes of Transparency International, Germany, (confirmed)
· Location:
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
Beneficial ownership transparency—knowing who ultimately owns, controls, and profits from a company—is a vital weapon against corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. Opening company registries allows journalists, civil society, and regulators to follow the money. However, making this sensitive personal data public can collide directly with the right to privacy and data protection.
This tension reached a boiling point globally following major court rulings (such as the European Court of Justice decision) that limited unrestricted public access to ownership registries due to privacy concerns. Discussing this issue as part of this historic conference is highly relevant. African nations are actively building digital public registries to protect natural resources while trying to pass strong data privacy laws. This panel will look at how to maintain strong public anti-corruption tools without violating personal data privacy rights.
Session Objectives
· Navigate the Legal Overlap: Examine how Access to Information (ATI) laws and Data Protection laws can work together instead of against each other.
· Establish Clear Standards: Identify international best practices for defining "legitimate interest" so researchers can access company data safely.
· Minimize Data Risks: Share ways to redact highly sensitive personal info (like home addresses and phone numbers) while still keeping corporate details transparent.
· Empower Joint Oversight: Help Information Commissioners and Data Protection Authorities collaborate on balanced public access policies.
Focus Areas
· The Global State of Corporate Transparency: Assessing the fallout of recent international court rulings on public beneficial ownership registries.
· Proportionality and Data Minimization: Determining exactly what information is necessary for the public to fight corruption without violating individual privacy.
· Protecting Vulnerable Individuals: Creating clear, fair exception rules to shield company owners from security risks like kidnapping or harassment.
· The African Context: How developing democracies can design modern company registries that satisfy both transparency advocates and privacy regulators.
Expected Outcomes
· Joint-Regulatory Checklist: A set of guidelines for information and privacy regulators to co-manage company registry access.
· Policy Recommendations: Draft text to help countries build transparent beneficial ownership portals that respect data privacy laws.
Speakers
· Adam Foldes, Transparency International, Germany (Confirmed)
· Dr Tetyana Oleksiyuk, Vice-President of Access Info Group under the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø Convention) (confirmed).
· Ms Anjali Bhardwaj Sharma (Co-Convenor - National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI), India); (tbc).
· Charles Dulo, Ombudsman, Commission for Administrative Justice, Kenya (tbc)
· Abdul Fatoma, Chief Executive, Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), Sierra Leone (TBC)
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Parallel Panel 4 Day 2 Concept Note: Access to Fisheries Management Information: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Hosted by Fisheries Transparency International (FiTI), West Africa
Overview
· Event: International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) & International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, Sierra Leone
· Session Type: Parallel Panel 4 - Day 2 (29th September 2026)
· Moderator: Mr Edward Koroma, Transparency International, Siera Leone (Confirmed)
· Venue: Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Lungi, Sierra Leone
Context and Rationale
The fishing sector is a critical lifeblood for coastal nations, providing food security, local jobs, and vital economic revenue. However, global marine resources face severe threats from overfishing, climate change, and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Combating these threats requires high levels of transparency. Access to fisheries management information—such as fishing licenses, fleet registries, catch data, and access agreements—is essential to keep corporate and state actors accountable.
Hosting this discussion in Lungi, Sierra Leone, highlights a critical regional reality. Atlantic coastal waters in West Africa are highly vulnerable to industrial overfishing and illicit maritime activities. Protecting these waters requires a multi-stakeholder approach. Governments, industrial fleets, artisanal fishermen, and coastal communities must all have open channels to share and view data. This panel will look at how opening up fisheries data protects marine life, secures local livelihoods, and reduces corruption.
Session Objectives
· Promote Open Marine Data: Demonstrate how publishing fishing licenses and agreements reduces corruption and stops illegal fishing fleets.
· Build Multi-Stakeholder Links: Create better paths for governments, small-scale fishermen, and civil society groups to share marine data.
· Empower Coastal Communities: Give artisanal fishermen the clear data tools they need to track local fish stocks and defend their fishing grounds.
· Support Resource Regulators: Help Information Commissioners work alongside Ministries of Fisheries to build clear, public data portals.
Focus Areas
· Shining a Light on Industrial Fleets: Making vessel tracking data, fishing permits, and fine histories fully open to the public.
· Protecting Artisanal Livelihoods: Ensuring local, small-scale fishing communities can easily access data regarding offshore commercial zones.
· Global Transparency Standards: Implementing frameworks like the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) to standardize public marine data.
· Co-Managing Marine Resources: Using shared, community-led data platforms to monitor fish health and stop environmental damage.
Expected Outcomes
· Fisheries Transparency Roadmap: A short guide for information offices on how to publish clear corporate and state fishing data.
· Community Data Alliance: A basic plan to link national regulators with local coastal watch groups for better local reporting.
· Lungi Policy Input: Text recommendations to ensure the final conference statement highlights sustainable resource data as a key public right.
Speakers
· Dr. Godfred Ameyaw Asiedu, Fisheries Transparency Initiative, West Africa(confirmed).
· Dr Nwamaka-Okeke Ugbuafor, Lecturer, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK (confirmed).
· Andreas Hartl, Deputy Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Germany (confirmed).
· Mr Sheku Sei, Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Sierra Leone(confirmed).
· Hon Lorpu Ponawannie Page, Executive Director, Independent Information Commission, Liberia (confirmed).
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CLOSING AND DECLARATION...
Concept Note: Adoption of the Freetown ICIC/IDUAI Joint Declaration on Access to Information as a Pillar of Information Integrity
Moderators: Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw (RAIC-SL) and Mr Marius Lukosuinas (UNESCO Paris)
Context and Rationale
The explosive rise of digital disinformation, algorithmic manipulation, and fake news poses a direct threat to global peace, democracy, and public health. To fight this information disorder, the international community must move past simple reactive censorship. We must embrace proactive truth. The fundamental right of Access to Information (ATI) is a crucial structural anchor for ensuring information integrity worldwide.
As global delegates gather in Lungi, Sierra Leone, there is a historic opportunity to cement this connection. The Freetown ICIC/IDUAI Joint Declaration will serve as a definitive global manifesto. It formally recognizes that robust, legally protected access to verified public data is the primary shield against systemic lies. This session will bring together leading commissioners and policy experts to finalize and adopt this landmark declaration.
Session Objectives
· Finalize the Text: Conduct a final review and alignment on the core clauses of the Freetown Joint Declaration.
· Anchor Information Integrity: Formally establish ATI as a non-negotiable pillar for countering global disinformation.
· Commit to Action: Secure institutional pledges from international Information Commissioners to implement the declaration’s principles locally.
· Mobilize Global Support: Create a clear strategy to present the declaration to international bodies like the United Nations and the African Union.
Focus Area
· The Principles of the Freetown Declaration: Unpacking the specific commitments regarding proactive data release and citizen trust.
· Cross-Border Implementation: How commissioners from diverse legal backgrounds can enforce the declaration's goals in their home countries.
· Protecting the Truth Ecosystem: Safeguarding independent oversight bodies from political interference while they defend information integrity.
· Global Legal Standing: Elevating the declaration to influence future international laws, regional transparency digital treaties, and national policies.
Session Structure & Agenda (90 Minutes)
· 00:00 – 00:10 | Welcome & Context: Setting the stage on the historic importance of the Freetown Declaration.
· 00:10 – 00:30 | Reading of the Draft Declaration: A clause-by-clause presentation of the final text by the drafting committee.
· 00:30 – 01:10 | High-Level Plenary Review: Open feedback and consensus-building among international heads of Information Commissions.
· 01:10 – 01:25 | Formal Adoption Ceremony: The official signing and endorsement of the Freetown ICIC/IDUAI Joint Declaration.
· 01:25 – 01:30 | Press Briefing & Closing: Official reading of the resolution to the press and outlining the next steps for global advocacy.
Expected Outcomes
· The Freetown Declaration: The formal adoption and signing of the historic text by participating international commissioners.
· Implementation Roadmap: A timeline for signatory countries to embed the declaration's principles into their national laws.
· Global Advocacy Brief: A strategic plan to submit the signed declaration to major global bodies to build broader international support.
Closing Remarks by
Besnic Dervishi, Chairman of ICIC
Hon Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education
Khaled El Enani, Director General, UNESCO
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