UPF Barcelona School of Management partners with UNESCO to coordinate a project to strengthen digital platform governance in Central America and the Caribbean

The UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM) is partnering with UNESCO to coordinate a new project, funded by the European Union, aimed at enhancing the governance of digital platforms across Central America and the Caribbean. As part of the UNESCO Internet for Trust initiative and the I4T Global Knowledge Network, this project will strengthen the capacity of regulators to implement the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, fostering a safer, more transparent digital environment that is respectful with freedom of expression and other human rights. 

This initiative is part of UNESCO's EU funded project ‘Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information through the implementation of the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms’. Led by Principal Investigator Prof. Rodrigo Cetina Presuel, the project will initially target Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, with efforts to include other nations in the region.

"The digital world presents immense opportunities, but also significant risks to our democratic fabrics and fundamental rights. The main objective of this project is to empower regulators, legislators, electoral authorities, and civil society with the tools and knowledge to address critical challenges such as disinformation, electoral interference, and online harms while vigorously protecting human rights, particularly freedom of expression and access to information” explains Prof. Cetina Presuel, Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs at UPF-BSM.

This collaborative effort brings together a consortium of global and regional partners. The project will be conducted in collaboration with  I4T Global Knowledge Network, Observatorio de la Desinformación at Complutense University of Madrid, the Global Network on Electoral Justice and with key regional partners,  Línea de Investigación de Derecho e Inteligencia Artificial (LIDIA) at  Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,  Universidad Católica de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic),  Instituto de Estudios Democráticos (Panama), and  Instituto de Formación y Estudios en Democracia (Costa Rica).

Through UNESCO support, partners will work together with regional stakeholders to co-design and implement governance strategies that are tailored to their specific needs.

“Strengthening the governance of digital platforms is essential to protect freedom of expression, access to information and build trust online. This project reflects UNESCO’s commitment to working with regional actors to ensure that the Internet serves the public interest—grounded in transparency, accountability, and human rights,” said Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.