UNESCO and EU Put Trusted News and Free Expression at the Heart of Mediterranean Pact

UNESCO and the EU placed independent journalism, freedom of expression and access to reliable information at the centre of their discussion about how societies can respond.

Access to trustworthy news is becoming a pressing concern across the Mediterranean, where conflicts, political uncertainty and rapid technological change are putting public confidence under strain. UNESCO and the European Union brought those concerns to the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week in New York on 22 September 2026, holding a high-level side event focused on protecting freedom of expression and helping people navigate an information environment increasingly exposed to disinformation and hate speech.

The Mediterranean connects Europe, North Africa and the Middle East through diverse languages, cultures, shared history and generations of exchange. Its active media and cultural communities, supported by expanding digital connections, offer a foundation for cooperation and mutual understanding. Conflicts, population movements and fragile political transitions are placing pressure on those relationships, creating conditions in which misleading information and hate campaigns can spread through communities already facing uncertainty.

Reliable information carries consequences beyond the newsroom

Fragmented media systems, the growing influence of social media and unequal access to verified information can leave people struggling to judge which sources deserve their trust. Rapidly evolving technology is accelerating these pressures, with consequences that reach beyond individual news stories to public confidence, social divisions and regional stability. UNESCO and the EU placed independent journalism, freedom of expression and access to reliable information at the centre of their discussion about how societies can respond.

The event brought together Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, and Mariya Gabriel, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information. Šuica described information integrity as a matter of peace, security and sustainability, stressing the importance of media and information literacy in keeping societies informed, open and inclusive. The discussion connected those priorities to regional cooperation, recognising that a stronger information environment depends on people being able to access trustworthy reporting and understand the content they encounter.

The Mediterranean pact gives cooperation a practical foundation

Launched in November 2025 by the EU and southern Mediterranean partners, the Pact for the Mediterranean provides a framework for supporting independent media organisations and strengthening networks of journalists, fact-checkers and content creators. Its focus on trustworthy, diverse and high-quality information links the work of media professionals to the wider need for a region better equipped to withstand disinformation and maintain public trust.

Participants identified opportunities to connect the pact with UNESCO's policy frameworks and technical expertise in information integrity, digital platform governance, and media and information literacy, particularly through its Internet for Trust initiative. Gabriel stressed that responses cannot be designed at the global level alone, pointing to EU-supported coalitions that UNESCO has built since 2023 to bring governments, regulators, media, civil society, researchers and citizens into discussions shaped by shared principles and local circumstances.

Global principles need responses rooted in local communities

EU support for Internet for Trust since 2023 has helped bring a broader range of voices into international policy discussions, including regional expertise and perspectives from the Global South. The initiative has contributed to the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity and the UN Global Digital Compact, and has supported the African Union and ASEAN in developing digital policies that protect freedom of expression and access to information.

The initiative's growing networks connect regulators, civil society organisations, media, academia and digital platforms at national, regional and global levels, helping turn shared commitments into practical responses that reflect local realities. That existing cooperation gives UNESCO and the EU a foundation for deeper work across the Mediterranean, where protecting independent reporting and improving people's ability to assess information are closely tied to social cohesion and regional stability.