Protecting electoral processes in the Libyan information environment: Implementation workshop

In total, fourteen participants (5 women and 9 men), including from the High National Election Commission (HNEC), General Authority for Monitoring of Media Content (GAMMC), Ministry of Interior, Aswat Media Network, Nawerni, and Libyan Foundation for Investigative Journalism attended the workshop, including two new participants from the east of Libya (1 woman and 1 man). Four Tunisian experts and two International IDEA representatives provided the groups with expert input and facilitated discussions. 

The workshop provided a space for presenting an analysis of global and regional cyber and information environment risks, the related Libyan legal framework, and recommendations to the group by a Tunisian expert. Participants provided feedback on this analysis document and an Arabic glossary of terms related to the information environment. Both documents provide the foundation for the next task of the working group that was started during the event: the drafting of a code of conduct for protecting elections in the information environment for electoral stakeholders in Libya.

During the workshop, participants adopted the proposal to establish an online register for pre/debunking mis/disinformation related to the electoral process in Libya. The register will be operated under the auspices of HNEC and supported by the core group. 

The next steps include finalizing a code of conduct through online exchange between group members and establishing an online register in time for the upcoming local elections. 

Image

Workshop Participants. Photo credit: International IDEA 

The event follows two previous events held in November and December 2023, namely a mapping and roadmap workshop and an initial implementation workshop and ongoing online cooperation of group members. The mapping methodology builds on an activity-based, ‘inquiry learning’ approach similar to the methods used in the BRIDGE curriculum and the International IDEA context overview workshops on electoral risk management. 

Image

Workshop Participants. Photo credit: International IDEA 

This activity is part of a comprehensive project designed to enhance the protection of electoral processes in the information environment. The project consists of three key phases: (1) a mapping workshop focused on mapping the information environment and its actors, (2) a roadmap workshop serving as a starting point for developing strategic roadmaps to enhance the protection of electoral processes from information environment threats, and (3) an implementation phase where initial steps are taken to put the developed roadmap into action. 

Informed by global best practices and exchanges between partner countries, the project enables national actors to identify context-relevant proposals for the way forward, work towards implementing suggestions, and share lessons learned with global audiences. The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by International IDEA.