Windhoek+30 Declaration

The Windhoek+30 Declaration, issued following a 2021 UNESCO conference in Namibia, asserts that information is a public good essential for human rights, democratic governance, and addressing global emergencies. It identifies critical threats to this good, including the economic crisis facing independent media, the proliferation of digital disinformation, and physical and legal attacks on journalists. The document outlines a series of calls to action: governments are urged to create enabling environments for free press and universal internet access; technology companies are asked to increase transparency in their automated systems and conduct human rights risk assessments; and intergovernmental bodies are encouraged to develop joint funding instruments to support media viability.

• Information is defined as a public good that is necessary for the fulfillment of collective human aspirations, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. It is described as a critical underpinning for managing global emergencies, specifically health crises like the Covid-19 pandemic and climate crises.
• The document identifies several modern threats to the information ecosystem, including the use of automated and human systems to spread hate speech and disinformation, as well as the use of laws regarding national security and violent extremism to restrict freedom of expression.
• Independent news media worldwide are facing an existential threat due to a severe economic crisis, making economic sustainability a prerequisite for media independence.
• The declaration calls for technology companies to implement transparent human rights risk assessments and provide clear notice and appeals processes for users regarding their terms of service.

APA

Rowley, S. (2022). Windhoek+30 Declaration. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/information-as-a-public-good/

Chicago

Rowley, Saskia. Windhoek+30 Declaration. World Association for Christian Communication, 2022. https://waccglobal.org/information-as-a-public-good/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rowley |first1=Saskia |title=Windhoek+30 Declaration |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=15 November 2022 |url=https://waccglobal.org/information-as-a-public-good/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rowley2022windhoek30, author = {Rowley, Saskia}, title = {{Windhoek+30 Declaration}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://waccglobal.org/information-as-a-public-good/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }