South Asia is taking important steps toward strengthening the governance of digital platforms, with stakeholders across the region working to advance human rights–based approaches to the digital space and to define common priorities. UNESCO, in collaboration with the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communications of Tribhuvan University, and with the support of the European Union, concluded a four-day Regional Workshop on Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in South Asia through the Implementation of UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, as part of the Internet for Trust (I4T) Initiative.
Held from 24 to 27 March 2026 at Tribhuvan University, the workshop brought together over 90 participants, including regulators, parliamentarians, policymakers, civil society representatives, journalists, academics, youth leaders, and digital governance experts from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
The event served as a key moment of regional convergence, providing a platform for stakeholders to review findings from national consultations, validate draft regional toolkits, and shape a shared vision of rights-based digital platform governance across South Asia.
The Internet for Trust Guidelines offer a powerful framework for South Asia to advance inclusive, rights‑based digital governance. The strength of this regional initiative lies not in imposing identical solutions, but in building coherent safeguards that reflect local realities while upholding universal principles of freedom of expression and public trust.”
Ms. Ma’aly HazzazUNESCO Regional Advisor for South Asia
We’re really proud to support UNESCO’s global initiative Internet for Trust, that reflects our shared vision on the digital future that is human-centered. In an evolving global context, protecting freedom of expression and ensuring access to reliable information is not a matter of choice; these are essential pillars of democratic, inclusive and resilient societies.
H.E. Veronique LorenzoAmbassador of the European Union to Nepal
Over four days of intensive dialogue, participants examined the evolving digital platform governance landscape in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Drawing on lessons from national consultations, they identified common governance gaps and regulatory challenges, including threats to freedom of expression, misinformation, and the urgent need for greater platform accountability and transparency. At the same time, participants identified opportunities for collaboration across different countries and shared priorities to strengthen digital platform governance in South Asia.
Hon. Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law and Member of Parliament, Sri Lanka, emphasized that stronger regional cooperation and collective advocacy can enhance South Asia’s leverage in engaging with global digital platforms, enabling countries to present shared human‑rights‑based policy priorities.
A core outcome of the workshop was the validation of two draft regional toolkits — one for policymakers and regulators, and another for civil society actors, developed jointly by Tribhuvan University (Nepal), Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh), and the University of Vocational Technology (Sri Lanka). These toolkits translate UNESCO’s Internet 4 Trust Guidelines into practical and region‑specific guidance to promote accountability, transparency, and inclusive participation in platform governance processes.
Participants also engaged in a multi-stakeholde governance simulation, applying UNESCO’s principles to a scenario involving an AI-driven content recommendation system amplifying misinformation and harmful speech. Representing policymakers, digital platforms, civil society organizations, researchers, and user communities, they collaborated to design governance interventions that reflected the diversity of perspectives, which is essential for effective and responsible platform regulation.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/members-parliament-civil-society-and-academia-call-rights-based-digital-platform-governance-south?hub=701
