Back Council of Europe Congress adopts recommendations to develop smart cities and regions and to fight hate speech and fake news

Council of Europe Congress adopts recommendations to develop smart cities and regions and to fight hate speech and fake news

The evolution of digital technologies over the past twenty years has had a considerable impact on local and regional authorities, whether in terms of the "smart" transformation of cities and regions or the spread of hate speech and fake news. During its 43rd Session on 25 October 2022, in Strasbourg, France, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted two reports on prospects and challenges for local and regional governance.

“Smart” cities and regions cover multiple facets: applications, sensors, software, algorithms, platforms or cameras. In the report prepared by Tony Buchanan (United Kingdom) and Jan Markink (Netherlands, ILDG), the Congress recommends deploying these technologies within the framework of proactive policies to optimise the administration and management of public affairs by developing inclusive initiatives for sustainable and human-centred cities and regions. This requires ensuring the compliance of new technologies and artificial intelligence tools with human rights, democracy and the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular the focus should be on reducing the digital divide, protecting personal data and improving cybersecurity. In addition, the national authorities must provide local authorities with the necessary support for their implementation.

While new technologies can contribute to the quality of territorial democracy, they sometimes have a deleterious effect on public life, particularly via social networks. Prepared by co-rapporteurs Wilma Delissen Van Tongerlo (Netherlands, ILDG) and Kristoffer Tamsons (Sweden, EPP/CCE), the report on hate speech and fake news highlights the toxic impact of these phenomena, online and offline, on the working conditions of local and regional elected representatives and on democracy. Furthermore, the report helps with identifying the right tools and strategies to tackle hate speech and fake news. In particular the Congress calls inter alia for guidance, training and support to local politicians as well as for adequate communication, transparency and openness. It recommends the implementation at the national level of a comprehensive strategy containing legal remedies and preventive measures, involving the relevant stakeholders. There should be no impunity for online and offline threats and attacks against local and regional politicians.

Debate on smart cities and regions:

 Speech by Tony Buchanan

 Speech by Jan Markink

 Video of the debate on Smart cities and regions - prospects for a human rights-based governance approach

 Mediabox interview with Tony Buchanan and Jan Markink

Debate on hate speech and fake news:

 Speech by Wilma Delissen Van Tongerlo

 Speech by Kristoffer Tamsons

 Video of the debate on Hate speech and fake news: the impact on working conditions of local and regional elected representatives

 Mediabox interview with Kristoffer Tamsons

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43rd Session

AgendaWeb file Multimedia (Live webcasts, interviews, videos and photo)

43rd session Strasbourg, France 26 October 2022
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