"Without a healthy information ecosystem, we cannot make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals"

Guadalajara, Jalisco, December 12, 2024.– Countering mis-disinformation and hate speech is a priority to advance the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.

In an interview with Carmen Morales, Director of the United Nations Information Center for Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the UN’s Global Communications Chief emphasized the need to cultivate trustworthy and credible information environments so that “facts prevail over lies” and hatred ceases, especially on social media platforms.

"Hate is a form of disinformation, and hate can lead to violence, even war," Fleming underscored, while also discussing the UN's global campaign "No to Hate," aimed at promoting understanding and defending human rights.

She also highlighted the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, launched in June 2024 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. These principles provide recommendations for digital platforms, governments, media outlets, advertisers, and users, urging them to take responsibility for building a more humane, safe, and peaceful information ecosystem.

• Why did you and your team at the Department of Global Communications put the Information Integrity debate at the forefront of the UN agenda? 

Because without a healthy information ecosystem, we cannot make progress on the SDGs, for example on climate action, if climate change is being distorted or being called a hoax. So we need an information environment where facts surface over lies. But currently, our information ecosystem is polluted with misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.

And it is really polarizing people. It is leading people astray. This is why we really feel strongly that we need to work on our information environment to ensure that people have access to trusted and credible information.

• You have often described the information ecosystem as something that can be harmful and even dangerous. What do you see as the biggest threats to Information Integrity today?

The threat is that we do not have a set of agreed facts anymore, for example the consensus is that climate change exists. Now, this is being questioned. There was a certain sense of tolerance that was more pervasive before social media came onto the scene. Now, people have lost all decorum online. They spew hate, attack people who are different from them.

The threat is that there is unaccountable, harmful content circulating on social media, not only circulating, but being amplified because algorithms are trained to boost content that is outrageous, that sparks fear, and makes people’s hearts palpitate. All the while, cold facts or positive content are kept below the surface or even demoted.

• What is the UN doing to counter hate speech?

We have a campaign called "No to Hate." It sounds obvious, but until we really get people to think that hate speech should not be tolerated, we cannot move forward. What we pursue is the opposite of hate. We believe that people can live side by side in harmony, and can work together on common solutions, rather than attack each other.

Hate is a form of disinformation, and hate can lead to violence, hate can even lead to war. Hate is dangerous. Our "No to Hate" campaign, which is a social media initiative, has inspired a lot of people to spread the word that we reject hate and demand a different type of discourse.

• Tell us about the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity. What are the main goals of these Principles, and how were they developed in collaboration with others?

One of the roles of the UN Department of Global Communications that I lead, and of the UNICs, is to impart trustworthy factual information about the UN and the state of the world. We have so much data, so many reports, so much information that no one else has. Our job is to package it, distribute it, and make it accessible.

However, this has become increasingly difficult due to algorithms that deemphasize content that is deemed to be "political," including UN content. That was one of the reasons I felt we needed to go beyond our typical communications role and create a blueprint for a healthy information ecosystem.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched these Principles in June 2024, and I am proud to say our Department worked hard for two years, consulting people worldwide about the information ecosystems they face. These Principles include a set of recommendations for stakeholders on their responsibilities in order to make the information ecosystem more humane. There are recommendations for digital platforms, governments, media, advertisers, public relations companies, and users. But the brunt of the responsibility falls on the social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) actors.

• What is the call that the UN makes to digital platforms and AI actors?

First, adhere to the standards they claim to uphold. They have published standards stating that they want a global town square, for example, or a social media platform that allows friends and family to get together and share, rather than divided people. They must live up to these promises, and also to reinforce trust and safety. Unfortunately, many platforms have either decimated their trust and safety teams or drastically reduced them. We call for those to be scaled up.

We also call on AI actors and social media companies to build in safety by design. Disinformation should not be monetized. Unfortunately, much of what drives disinformation, fake news sites and deepfakes is that spewing disinformation and hate is actually profitable, and this needs to end.

• What do you hope the Global Principles for Information Integrity will achieve in the coming years?

The UN does not have regulatory authority, but it has moral authority. We hope these Principles will serve as a blueprint for people, governments, and different stakeholders to address disinformation and take action.

One of the first actions we are taking is ensuring that UN communications offices worldwide, including in Mexico, embrace the Global Principles and use them in their advocacy vis-a-vis governments and other stakeholders in the country.

We are also advocating for bolstering public-interest media, an extremely important pillar of democracy. Unfortunately, with the rise of social media, their viability has been severely affected as their business model has collapsed. We need more investment in public-interest media.

Additionally, we need greater investment in media literacy. Children need to be able to navigate social media, but elders do too. It is not going to happen overnight and it requires an all-of-society approach, especially if social media actors do not implement the changes necessary to make a real difference.

• For those inspired by your work and the work of the Global Communications Department you lead, what message would you give them to contribute to a healthier and safer digital ecosystem?

There are many things that individuals can do. They can look at how they are possibly part of the problem unwillingly. We have a slogan that we want in everyone’s ear: "Take care before you share. Pause, and take care before you share." It is crucial to validate sources of information and avoid contributing to the spread of misinformation.

I also encourage people to demand change. Many parents are extremely concerned about their children's safety online. They are a very powerful political force that can demand for changes to algorithms that are feeding their children harmful content. That could make a big difference.

Similarly, people should understand how their data and information are used, scraped, and sold to advertisers, and why they’re shown certain content. We need to take back our rights as individuals and demand a healthier information ecosystem.

For more information about the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity consult: www.un.org/information-integrity