The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has hailed the adoption of a new Policy Framework on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel.
MRA described the framework as a timely intervention against the rising tide of disinformation, misinformation, and other threats to the information ecosystem in the region.
The policy document was adopted on September 5, 2025, at the end of a three-day multi-stakeholder Regional Conference on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel, held in Praia, Cape Verde. It was jointly organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Government of Cape Verde.
The 19-page framework aims to strengthen trust in the information ecosystem, advance digital platform governance, and safeguard human rights in response to increasing disinformation, hate speech, and misuse of digital technologies across the region.
Commending the adoption, MRA Programme Officer Ms. Adesewa Akintokun, hailed UNESCO, national governments, regional institutions, and civil society stakeholders for their contributions to the framework’s development.
Akintokun welcomed the framework’s emphasis on protecting fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and access to information, while also promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical standards among both state and non-state actors. She stressed that this balanced approach was crucial to ensuring that measures to curb harmful content do not become a tool for censorship.
“At a time when the spread of false and misleading information undermines democracy, fuels conflict, and erodes public trust in institutions, this initiative provides an important blueprint for fostering a healthier and more resilient information environment,” she said.
She further described the adoption of the Policy Framework, alongside the “Praia Action Plan for Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel” and the “Guide for Regulators to Implement the Information Integrity Model Policy & Framework,” as positive milestones.
However, she cautioned that the success of the framework would depend on effective implementation, urging governments and stakeholders to demonstrate political will and commitment to translating the framework into concrete action that strengthens democratic resilience in the region.
“As an organisation committed to advancing media freedom, access to information, and the digital rights of citizens, MRA looks forward to working with national governments, regional bodies, civil society, the media, and other stakeholders in the effective implementation of the framework,” she added.