The Council of Europe and Malta’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism hosted a conference on “Building Democratic Resilience to Disinformation” under Malta’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. Bringing together policymakers, regulators, civil society, media, academia and the tech sector, the event addressed the impact of disinformation on democracy and public trust, with a focus on media freedom, literacy, education, youth and culture.

This conference marks a key milestone in the Council of Europe’s democratic renewal agenda, supporting Secretary General Alain Berset’s call for a New Democratic Pact for Europe by fostering dialogue, collaboration, and a renewed commitment to democratic values across the continent.

Opening the conference, Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta, underlined that disinformation is “a deliberate attack on the information ecosystem that sustains free societies.” “The threat of disinformation—supercharged by the internet and Artificial Intelligence—is global. No nation can act alone”, he added. He emphasised that multilateral solutions, grounded in cooperation and shared learning, are vital, including empowering individuals with media literacy and critical thinking as well as deepening cooperation with digital platforms to tackle harmful content.

In his keynote speech, Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge emphasised the need to build knowledge, strengthen our security and develop resistance to disinformation by providing practical tools to pre-empt and challenge the falsehoods that undermine democracy. “We can no more stop the tide of disinformation than we can stop the tide itself. The pervasive nature of disinformation poses a formidable challenge to our democratic societies. Fake news goes viral far more quickly than any virus ever did. But we can counter lies with facts, with law, and with education.”

Speakers in the conference included the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O´Flaherty, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Jan Braathu, Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy, and Maja Zarić, Chair of the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI).

Matjaž Gruden underlined that nourishing our societies with quality, trustworthy information remains essential. Protecting democracy isn’t just about laws or fact-checks. It’s about rebuilding trust, confidence, and the shared values that hold our societies together.

Maja Zarić joined the other panellists in emphasising that disinformation poses a serious threat to democracy by undermining trust in institutions, elections, media, and fundamental rights. She has outlined the rich body of work that the CDMSI has done to build societal resistance to disinformation. 

Overall the conference concluded that the strongest defence against it lies in upholding robust democratic institutions, including the rule of law and civic freedoms. Furthermore, there is a critical need for a coordinated, whole-of-society approach involving governments, civil society, media, academia, and citizens. Ensuring a free, pluralistic media environment, alongside education and cultural policies that foster critical thinking and diverse perspectives, is also essential to building resilience. Finally, the conference concluded that given the cross-border nature of disinformation, international cooperation remains vital to safeguarding democracy worldwide.

In his conclusions, Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta stressed that democratic resilience to disinformation is a core security priority, requiring both protection of the information space and investment in citizens’ skills—especially youth—to strengthen democratic culture. He emphasised the strategic role of the Council of Europe is uniquely in leading this effort through its standards, independence, and ability to bring together governments and actors from civil society.

The conference also launched the Council of Europe’s new project, RESIST: Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disinformation in Europe, funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, aimed at helping states to strengthen resilience to disinformation and empower people through media and information literacy.

Conference website

Speech by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge