OSCE enhances media and information literacy skills to effectively prevent and counter violent extremism

On 17 and 18 December, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan held a training course on media and information literacy in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The course addressed the challenges posed by the digital information disorder, which refers to misinformation, disinformation, and malign information in the digital realm, and combating the misuse of the internet for violent extremist purposes while upholding fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression.

Participants included 24 policymakers, officials from the security and education sectors, representatives from civil society organizations and media professionals, fostering a multi-stakeholder approach for inclusive solutions to combat radicalization to violence in the digital space and emphasizing awareness for the importance of early prevention efforts centred on human rights.

“To make a real difference, we need everyone on board: from government agencies, law enforcement, and educators to civil society, the media and the private sector. This approach—bringing everyone to the table—is at the core of Uzbekistan’s Counter Terrorism and Extremism Strategy, which was developed with the support of the OSCE and with input from a wide range of voices within the country,” said Ambassador Antti Karttunen, Head of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

In the framework of plenary discussions and hands-on exercises in working groups, participants also explored the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the online information space.

The training course followed a regional workshop in Tashkent on 16 December that explored the practical challenges and opportunities in using AI in P/CVERLT, as well as relevant ethical considerations and human rights implications, organized by Meta and Mythos Labs, and supported by the OSCE.

The training course was organized as part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project INFORMED: Information and Media Literacy in Preventing Violent Extremism. Human Rights and Gender-Sensitive Approaches to Addressing the Digital Information Disorder, and funded by Germany.