Nouri Lajmi participated in the International Conference on Digital Platform Governance, held from 11 to 13 February 2026 at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. The conference brought together more than 340 participants from 84 countries, including regulatory authorities from 50 countries, alongside policymakers, regulators, researchers, technology companies, civil society representatives, and international organizations. The discussions reaffirmed the importance of collective action to strengthen accountability, transparency, and the governance of digital platforms, grounded in human rights principles.
From Normative Consensus to Operational Implementation
Debates highlighted a key shift in digital platform governance: moving from broad normative agreement toward concrete operational execution. While there is wide consensus around human rights–based principles, the central challenge now lies in implementation.
Key areas of focus included:
- Translating human rights principles into enforceable regulatory mechanisms;
- Sharing repeatable and scalable regulatory methodologies;
- Developing standardized systems to monitor systemic risks rather than isolated content;
- Designing iterative governance models based on third-party audits and evidence.
Participants emphasized that effective governance increasingly depends on strong institutional networks rather than isolated regulatory authorities.
Structured Collaboration and Shared Responsibility
The Conference stressed the need for structured collaboration among regulators, digital platforms, civil society, and researchers. Discussions underscored that:
- No single actor can adequately assess or manage systemic risks alone;
- Trust-based data-sharing frameworks are essential for resilience;
- Regulation requires coordination at national, regional, and global levels.
The “Proposition for Action from Pretoria”
A major outcome of the Conference was the adoption of the “Proposition for Action from Pretoria”, which outlines shared priorities for strengthening digital governance, including:
- Advancing regulatory capacity;
- Promoting transparency and accountability of digital platforms;
- Protecting users and empowering communities;
- Addressing systemic risks;
- Investing in research and evidence-based policymaking.
The Proposition offers a flexible menu of possible lines of action from which national regulators, regional networks, and global forums may choose according to their mandates, capacities, and political, economic, and social contexts. It is not a uniform template, but rather a shared compass—combining national measures with regional and international mechanisms for inter-institutional cooperation.
Organizers and Partners
The 2026 International Conference on Digital Platform Governance was co-hosted by the Information, Communication, Technologies and Media Regulators Forum of South Africa and Social Media 4 Peace South Africa, with the support of UNESCO and partner networks. The event provided a platform to review progress on implementing the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms and to strengthen multistakeholder dialogue on freedom of expression and information integrity online.
Nouri Lajmi’s participation in this international forum reflects MEDEA’s continued commitment to promoting balanced, human rights–based digital governance through institutional cooperation and shared responsibility at the global level.