Theme: Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The Role of Access to Information in Addressing Information Disorder
Programme: Please click here to download this file
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Sunday 27th Sept, 2026.
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18:00 - 21.00
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DAY 1. 28th Sept 2026
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08:30 - 09:00
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Registration of participants and welcome tea
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09:10 - 09:15
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Handover ceremony: Dr Ibrahim Seaga SHAW (Chairman/information Commissioner, Sierra Leone and organizers of IDUAI 2025 and ICIC 2025
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09:15 - 09:30
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Welcome Statements: Mr Besnik Dervishi, ICIC Chairman and Information Commissioner, Albania, Hon Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education, Sierra Leone Mr Khaled el-Anani, Director General of UNESCO (TBC),
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09:30 - 09:50
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Official Opening—President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of ECOWAS, HE Dr Julius Maada Bio
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09:50 -10:05
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Official Photo opportunity
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10:05 -10:15
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Keynote address by Stuart Russell, Distinguished Professor of Computer Sicence and Director of the Centre for Human-Compatible AI, University of California, Berklay |
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10:15 -11:15
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High-Level Plenary Panel: Serafina Wakana, UN Resident Coordinator, Sierra Leone (tbc), Mariya Gabriel, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (UNESCO) (confirmed), Information Minister of one ECOWAS country, Ms Geereeshatopsy Sonoo African Union Rapporteur on Freedom of Information and Access to Information (confirmed) ); Rodrigo Fontenelle de Araújo Miranda, General Comptroller of the State of Sao Paolo, Brazil (confirmed)
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11: 15 -11.30
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Tea/Coffee Break
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Moderator, Mr Gilbert Sendugwa, Africa Freedom of Information Network
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11:30 -12:30
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Plenary Session 1: How timely, reliable official information can strengthen the information environment and counter information disorder (UNESCO). Speakers: Caroline Maynard, Information Commissioner, Canada (confirmed); Dorothy Jemator, Information Commissioner, Kenya (confirmed); Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Chief Information Commissioner, Pakistan ; Maxwell Kadiri, Open Society Foundation;
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12:30 -13:30
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Plenary Session: 2: From Transparency to Proactive Disclosure: Towards a New International Standard (session organized together with the OGP, OECD, and the Government of the Netherlands:
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13.30 - 14:30
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Lunch
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14:30 - 15:15
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Plenary Session 3: Stress Test on Freedom of Information Moderated by Guilliamme Canela, UNESCO, and Toby Mendel, Centre for Law and Democracy, Canada
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15:15 - 16:15
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Parallel Sessions
Parallel Session 1: Technological advancements in support of good record-keeping practices and proactive disclosure as enablers of credible information access. Speakers.
Parallel Session 2: Youth Leadership and Digital Community Spaces in Promoting Information Integrity—Speakers
Parallel session 3: Panel Proposer and Moderator: Elvis Michel Kenmoe, UNESCO, Dakar, Senegal -- Access to Information, Public Interest Data, and Information Integrity in West Africa: One Year After Praia-Speakers:
Parallel Session 4: Credible Data as a Catalyst for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers
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16:15 - 16:35
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Tea Break
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16:35 - 16:50
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Plenary Session 4: feedback on parallel sessions and closing remarks
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| 16:50 - 18:00 | Plenary Session 4: New initiatives to strengthen ATI: Pretoria’s Proposition for Action and AU African Guidelines for Access to Data
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19:00 - 21:00
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Dinner to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UNESCO Information for All Programmme (IFAP) and inscription into UNESCO Memory of the World International list the Swedish Freedom of the Press Ordinance of 1766: The world’s first legislation guaranteeing free communication of information. Dinner will be open with the official ceremony of signing the MOU between UNESCO and ICIC
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Day 2 - 29 Sept. 2026
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08:45 - 09:15
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Registration of participants and welcome tea
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09.15 - 09:45
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Key Note Speaker : Professor David Cuillier, University of Florida, USA
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09:45 -11.00
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Session 1 - Plenary: Global Best Practices for ensuring that access to information can contribute to upholding and safeguarding information integrity.
Moderator: Toby Mendel, Centre for Law and Democracy, Canada Mr Besnik Dervishi, Data Protection and Information Commissioner, Albania; Ahmed Ahid Rasheed, Information Commissioner - Information Commissioner's Office - Maldives , ; Anne Marie Konan, Information Commissioner, Cote D’Ivoire; Article 19 Dakar West Africa Office; Dr Francis Sowa, FBC, USL |
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11:00 - 1:30
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Tea/Coffee Break
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11:30 -13:00
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Session 2 - Plenary:
Access to credible data for open government and public sector reform. Moderator: Sulayman Phoray Musa, Director of Public Sector Reform, Sierra Leone NGO (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); SWATI MEHTA Swati Mehta, Asia-Pacific Regional Lead - Open Government;Elizabeth Tyd, information commissioner, Australia, |
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14:00 -15:15
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Plenary Session 3 -
The Challenges of Information Disorder in Africa: Wither Information Integrity?Panel hosted by African Network of Information Commissioners (ANIC) in partnership with African Commission on Human and People’s rights –Moderator Chance Kalololeksya, Human Rights Commission, Malawi. Speakers: Advocate Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson, ANIC/Information Regulator, South Africa, African Union Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. Omar Seghrouchni, President of Data Protection and Access to Information Morocco. Professor Guy Berger, Researcher at ICT Africa; Endale Hail Institution Ombudsman, Ethiopia |
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15:15-16:00
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Session 4 Parallel:
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16:00 -16:30
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Plenary Session 3: feedback from parallel sessions Moderator: Dr Emmanual
Gaima, Principal Adviser to the President and Head of Public Sector Reform |
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16:30 -16.50
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Tea/Coffee Break
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16.50 -17.30
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Session 5 –Parallel Regional Meetings
Parallel session 1: African Network Parallel session 2: Asian Network Parallel session 3: European Network/ENTRI Parallel session 4: Ibero - American Transparency and Access to Information Network Parallel session 5: North American Network Parallel session 6: Oceania – Australia Network |
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17.30 - 18.00
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Session 6 - Plenary:
Moderators: Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw (RAIC-SL) and Mr Marius Lukosuinas (UNESCO Paris)-Adoption of the Freetown ICIC/IDUAI Joint Declaration on access to information as a pillar of Information Integrity and Closing Remarks by ICIC Chair Mr Besnic Dervishi |
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19:00 - 20:30
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Dinner and cultural gala hosted by RAIC-SL
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DAY 3. - 30 Sept. 2026
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09.30 - 13.00
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Closed ICIC Administrative Meeting (more planning information to follow)
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09:30 - 13:00
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Closed NGO/CSO Meeting (in parallel) (more planning information to follow) |
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13:00 - 14:30
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Lunch
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Excursions to three touristic sites –Bunce Island, Tagocama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, and Peace Museum
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