With the highest level of internet access in the western Balkans, Kosovo faces vast threats to its information integrity. NDI’s global mission in supporting and strengthening democratic institutions recognizes this growing threat to democratic institutions and political and social fabrics globally. While the internet has empowered billions with access to knowledge, it has also empowered those seeking to undermine democracy. Since 2019, NDI/Kosovo has worked to identify the risks to Kosovo’s democracy by holding conferences to raise awareness of this threat and by monitoring and reporting on the online information environment that is especially vulnerable to threats to information integrity.

NDI held its sixth conference on information integrity, DISICON, on December 6 and 7, 2023, in Pristina, Kosovo, with the overarching theme of “Understanding and Responding to Gendered Disinformation.” The conference brought together local, regional, and international experts from various fields to discuss gendered disinformation and its consequences, explore effective ways to combat it and elevate the protection of human rights in policy responses to these urgent information integrity issues in the region. To underscore the evolving role of technology in facilitating discussion on these complex issues, the conference was moderated by an AI bot and highlighted insights from representatives from Meta on AI’s impact on the company’s approach to combating gendered disinformation and utilizing digital tools to enhance transparency. 

Further, the conference launched “UNSOCIAL MEDIA” - a comprehensive report on gender disinformation in Kosovo, shedding light on the specific challenges faced by women and LGBTQ+ individuals in the social and online media platforms from NDI’s partners Democracy for Development (D4D) and Pikasa Analytics. Additionally, for the first time, the conference introduced DISI-CONNECT, a novel framework that provides networking and opportunities to collaborate on approaches to combating gendered disinformation for international guests, experts and local stakeholders convened by the conference.

World-renowned experts, domestic and European-level political figures - including keynote speaker President Vjosa Osmani - and media representatives from across the region enriched the discussion on a range of topics, including inclusivity in the tech industry, building alliances to combat gendered disinformation, and the importance of empowering women by increasing their representation at decision-making tables. 

DISICON provides a crucial platform for stakeholders in government, civil society, and the private sector to reflect meaningfully on how the changing technological landscape in Kosovo affects efforts to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions. Those who participate in forums like this one return to their organizations better equipped to both combat disinformation and other internet-based threats and innovate to make the internet a tool for inclusion. By being intentional about the role of technology in growing a participatory democracy, NDI and its partners in Kosovo hope that increased access to the internet can be a boon for democracy in the western Balkans, rather than a threat. 

A conference summary can be downloaded here.

Author: NDI Kosovo team

This conference summary and the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Information Integrity Conference - DISICON - in Kosovo are made possible through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The conference was organized in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP Kosovo, European Union Office in Kosovo, Council of Europe Office in Pristina, and Democracy for Development - D4D. UNDP Kosovo support was made possible through generous contributions from Luxembourg, Republic of Korea, and Norway, via UNDP Funding Windows.

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.