FM Bilawal stresses need for effective strategy to fight disinformation

• Bilawal wants UN-backed task force fighting disinformation.
• He asks UN to create global guidelines for disinformation.
• “Misinformation is the biggest problem of this era,” he adds.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Thursday urged countries to create an “international plan of action” to battle disinformation and demanded the United Nations create an effective strategy.

In his virtual address to the Group of Friends on Countering Disinformation meeting, Bilawal provided some of his own suggestions such as creating campaigns for public awareness regarding disinformation and enhancing the capacity of governments, particularly in developing countries, to filter through false information, and to limit online hate speech.

“We should agree on an international plan to counter disinformation online and offline, in the public and private domain,” the foreign minister said.

FM Bilawal then urged the United Nations’ department of information to create an international standard of guidelines for countries to follow regarding disinformation.

Relevant UN committees should open “comprehensive dialogue” with other countries in collaboration with stakeholders to develop an international consensus on cooperation to combat disinformation, he suggested.

“Misinformation is the biggest problem of this era,” Bilawal emphasised. “An effective strategy has to be formulated to tackle the issue of disinformation.”