On August 28, 2018, Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department at the Council of Europe, met senior UNESCO officials in Paris to discuss the joint cooperation agenda to promote freedom of expression and media freedom. In his meetings with Mr Moez Chakchouk, Assistant Director General for Communication and Information, Guy Berger, Director of the Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, and Ms Sylvie Coudray, Chief of the Section on Freedom of Expression, Mr. Penninckx briefed UNESCO counterparts on the latest policy guidelines issued by the Council of Europe such as regarding responsibilities of internet intermediaries, pluralism of media ownership and the modernised Convention on Data Protection. He also presented relevant research on information disorder, media and gender equality, the use of the internet in electoral campaigns and human rights dimensions of algorithms.

The parties discussed opportunities to cooperate on artificial intelligence and namely the preparation of the Council of Europe conference on 26-27 February in Helsinki. They also agreed to strengthen their coordinated efforts to promote World Press Freedom Day and the International day to end impunity for crimes against journalists – including cooperation at the international conference in Beirut in November 2019 on fighting impunity organised by UNESCO - and to enhance coordination for international events such as the IGF and ICDPPC. Further, the Cooperation Agreement between the two organisations and possible updates and complements to it were subject of discussion.

UNESCO is a participant (observer) in the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) as well as in its two Expert Committees, MSI-JOQ and MSI-AUT.