As digitalization advances, the information space is becoming increasingly vital as a foundation for democracy and social stability. At the same time, the spread of disinformation and deliberate information manipulation is deepening social divisions and undermining public trust, posing a shared threat across countries. Ensuring the integrity of the information space is therefore an urgent challenge from political, economic, and security perspectives.

This session will examine the respective roles that governments, the private sector, and civil society should play in safeguarding the integrity of information space, with a particular emphasis on long-term approaches such as strengthening media literacy education and reinforcing the role of trusted, high-quality journalism, alongside regulatory measures. Building on this discussion, the session will further explore, through a multifaceted lens, the kind of information space that we can and should aspire to foster – one that reflects the region’s diverse values and systems of governance, rather than simply replicating Western models.