A two-day training on the Council of Europe’s Anti-Rumours methodology was held on 19–20 November 2025 in Riga, within the framework of the Baltic Intercultural Integration Academy which is a collaborative effort involving the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities (ICC) Programme, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

A total of 33 participants from local authorities and partner organisations across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania took part in the training. To maximise engagement, the group was divided into two parallel training sessions delivered over two consecutive days, held simultaneously with UNHCR-led capacity-building activities. The training, provided by ICC expert Daniel de Torres, introduced participants to the Council of Europe’s Anti-Rumours methodology and its relevance for addressing misinformation, stereotypes and negative narratives about migrants and refugees. Through a series of practical exercises, discussions and group work, participants deepened their understanding of how prejudices and rumours develop, and explored ways to design targeted, evidence-based interventions to counter their impact on societal cohesion.

Working groups examined challenges specific to the Baltic context and began outlining initial components of an Anti-Rumours Action Plan, supported by examples and experiences from other ICC cities. Feedback from the sessions confirmed strong interest from municipalities in adopting the methodology to strengthen inclusive public communication in an increasingly polarised information environment.

A follow-up meeting with partners of the Baltic Interagency Academy (UNHCR, ODIHR and OECD) will take place to coordinate next steps and explore opportunities for joint support to Baltic local authorities in 2026.