Search Climate Insights Directory

The report provides a comprehensive stocktake of the WTO's Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce at the end of 2022. It highlights a shift toward a less ambitious 'light' agreement focusing on minor facilitation points, while more contentious issues like market access and data flows remain unresolved. The document notes the rise of flexible Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and an increased focus on the digital divide within the broader WTO work programme. By December 2022, 87 WTO members participated in the JSI, though participation from African countries and Least Developed Countries remains marginal. The report details the progress of various technical small groups, noting that 10 articles have reached a 'cleaned' or 'convergent' state, while others, such as source code and cryptography, face persistent divergences.

The document is a collection of research papers and reports focusing on the intersection of media literacy, audience engagement, and media accountability. It examines how these elements can counter political polarisation and fake news in India, prevent extremist violence in the United States, and support peace-building in Colombia. It also analyzes structural challenges to media accountability in Africa and Latin America, specifically highlighting gender inequalities in Argentine media and the role of audience ombudspersons in Mexico. Additionally, it discusses the digital divide and the need to decolonize digitality in Asia.

The IPIE 2023 expert survey of 289 scientists across 54 countries identifies the availability of accurate information and diverse opinions as critical for a healthy information environment. Social media platforms and politicians are cited as the most significant threats globally, while researchers highlight a lack of platform data access as a primary barrier to understanding these trends. The report notes a divergence in perceived threats based on political regimes: experts in autocracies emphasize central governments and state media, while those in democracies are more concerned with foreign interference and climate-related misinformation.

The report presents findings from a survey of 289 experts studying 54 countries, defining the information environment as the aggregate of physical, social, and digital surroundings influencing communication. Key findings highlight a consensus that the availability of accurate information is the most critical feature of a healthy environment, while social media platforms and politicians are viewed as the primary threats. The report notes significant disparities based on regime type: experts in democracies are more concerned with foreign interventions and climate misinformation, whereas those in autocracies emphasize threats from local governments and state-backed media. Over half of the experts predict the information environment will worsen in 2024, citing data access and funding as primary research barriers.

The 2023 IPIE expert survey of 289 researchers reveals that information accuracy and diversity of voices are the most critical features of a healthy information environment. Social media platforms and politicians are identified as the primary threats globally, though specific concerns vary by regime type: experts in autocracies highlight national governments and state-backed media, while those in democracies emphasize foreign interference and climate science misinformation. A significant majority of researchers (72%) cite the lack of platform data access as the main barrier to understanding the information environment, and 54% predict further degradation of the environment in 2024.

The 2023 expert survey by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) highlights a global consensus on the necessity of accurate information and diversity of voices for a healthy information environment. Experts identify social media platforms and politicians as primary threats, with specific concerns regarding the lack of accountability for platform owners and the inadequacy of AI-driven content moderation. The report notes a divergence in perceived threats based on regime type: experts in autocracies emphasize threats from national governments and state-supported media, while those studying democracies are more concerned with foreign interference and climate science misinformation. A significant majority of researchers (72%) cite the lack of access to platform data as the primary barrier to improving the understanding of the global information environment.

The 2023 IPIE expert survey of 289 researchers reveals that while reliable information and diversity of opinion are seen as hallmarks of a healthy information environment, social media platforms and political actors are viewed as primary threats across different governance regimes. Experts highlight significant failures in AI-driven content moderation and a critical lack of platform data access for researchers. The report notes a divergence in perceived threats: those studying autocracies emphasize national governments and state media, while those studying democracies are more concerned with foreign interference and climate-related disinformation.

The 2023 IPIE expert survey of 289 researchers across 54 countries identifies the availability of accurate information and diversity of opinion as critical for a healthy information environment. The report highlights social media platforms and politicians as primary threats, while noting that experts in authoritarian regimes fear domestic governments more than those in democracies, who are more concerned with foreign interference. A significant majority of researchers cite the lack of access to platform data as the main obstacle to improving the understanding of the global information environment.

The 2023 IPIE expert survey identifies the availability of reliable information and diversity of voices as critical for a healthy information landscape. Social media platforms and politicians are viewed as primary threats across all government types, though specific concerns vary: experts on autocracies highlight state-led manipulation, while those focusing on democracies emphasize foreign interference and climate misinformation. A significant majority of researchers cite the lack of access to platform data as the primary obstacle to understanding the global information environment.

The IPIE 2023 expert survey of 289 researchers reveals that accurate information and diversity of voices are the most critical elements of a healthy information environment. Social media platforms and politicians are identified as the primary threats globally, though specific concerns vary by regime type: experts in autocracies highlight state-led media and local governments, while those in democracies emphasize foreign interference and climate misinformation. A significant majority of researchers (72%) cite a lack of system data access as a major barrier to understanding the global information environment, and 54% predict the situation will worsen in 2024.

The document explores the application of Robust Decision Making (RDM) to address the 'super wicked' problem of climate adaptation in the Greater Mekong Subregion, where decision-making is often hindered by mistrust of national governments and unequal power dynamics. It suggests that while full RDM is technically intensive, a simplified 'RDM lite' approach could better suit local needs by preserving core principles of participation and robustness. The study also identifies critical needs for capacity building, strengthening informal networks, and ensuring 'meaningful' participation through transparent information access and digital inclusion.

The WSIS Civil Society Declaration argues that information and communication technologies (ICTs) must be grounded in human rights, social justice, and gender equality rather than profit-driven market motives. It advocates for universal access to information, the protection of the public domain of knowledge, and the use of Free Software to empower marginalized communities. The declaration emphasizes the need for multistakeholder governance of the Internet and the implementation of environmentally sustainable ICT solutions, particularly in Africa.

The statement asserts that low-income communities in the Global South and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate change but are excluded from media representation and policy conversations. It argues that ensuring these groups have access to affordable digital platforms and communication tools is vital for implementing viable climate justice solutions, despite the likelihood that COP27's final texts will ignore the role of communications.

The document argues that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities in the UNFCCC process, particularly for Global South negotiators and civil society organizations. It highlights how travel restrictions, vaccine inequality, and the digital divide hindered participation and coordination, while broader geopolitical power dynamics and aid dependencies allowed Global North countries to maintain disproportionate influence over negotiation outcomes. The authors recommend short-term funding and logistical reforms, long-term institutional changes such as capping delegation sizes and shifting COP venues to the Global South, and a broader effort to decolonize research and build allyship to shift global power dynamics.

The document outlines the challenges of the digital age—including the digital divide, data monopolies, and online violence—and proposes a set of principles to promote social justice in digital spaces. It emphasizes the need for a global movement involving civil society and faith communities to protect human rights, ensure equitable access to infrastructure and energy, and challenge the 'attention economy' and systemic inequalities embedded in algorithms.

The report examines the supply and demand sides of digital payments in Sudan to help humanitarian actors like the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) transition from cash to digital transfers. It identifies systemic barriers, including political instability, low digital literacy, and the prevalence of informal airtime credit transfers. The analysis segments beneficiaries by digital readiness, highlighting a significant gender divide and the high cost of handsets as primary barriers. Recommendations include subsidizing devices, providing digital capability training, and advocating for the recognition of refugee IDs for KYC purposes.

The document examines Africa's position as a 'techno-geopolitical theatre' where major powers—including China, the US, and the EU—are competing to establish technological spheres of influence through infrastructure investments and policy frameworks. It warns that while these investments can drive digital transformation, they risk reducing Africa to a pawn in geopolitical struggles. The author highlights the danger of relying on non-neutral service providers and cautions African governments against using digital regulations for citizen surveillance and repression, urging instead a focus on securing digital interests and fostering innovation for a young population.

The document examines the digital divide and the resulting low participation of African nations in the WTO's plurilateral e-commerce negotiations. It highlights the tension between the preferred multilateral approach of the African Group and the pragmatic necessity of joining the JSI to avoid being marginalized by rules set by developed nations. The author recommends that African states align e-commerce policies with industrialization goals and leverage the African Union to negotiate as a unified bloc.

The document examines the role of Africa in the global AI supply chain and the risks posed by the dominance of foreign AI firms, particularly from China and the Global North. It highlights specific harms including predatory financial offers via digital IDs in South Africa, human rights violations through facial recognition in Uganda and South Africa, and exploitative 'click work' in Kenyan refugee camps. The brief reviews emerging national AI strategies in Mauritius, Egypt, and Rwanda, and the SMARTAfrica 'Blueprint on Artificial Intelligence for Africa'. It argues that while EU frameworks like the AI Act and GDPR provide some guidance on human rights, they often fail to address African socio-economic realities, such as the gender digital divide and infrastructure deficits. The author recommends that African governments focus on building sustainable local AI ecosystems, enhancing regional data cooperation via the AfCFTA, and ensuring the economic participation of local communities.

The document analyzes India's reliance on the Aadhaar biometric ID system and the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) initiative to deliver social welfare and emergency aid. It highlights the deployment of the Aarogya Setu contact-tracing app during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent concerns regarding data privacy, the lack of a legal data protection framework, and the potential for 'function creep' through the National Health Stack.