14th CALD General Assembly Declaration

Whereas, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) held their 14th General Assembly on 12-13 November 2022 in Iloilo City, Philippines, with the theme: “Building a Democratic Coalition Against Disinformation”;

Whereas, digital technology and the internet, primarily social media, have liberalized information and service dissemination. It has broken down barriers and bridged understanding among the community of nations;

Whereas, the abuse and misuse of digital technology for nefarious purposes such as disinformation, hate speech and other cyber criminal activities undermine democratic purposes and the rule of law, lower the level of public discourse, and inflict severe damage to society’s moral fabric;

Whereas, considering the severely negative impacts on democracy, economy, and society, it is incumbent upon all stakeholders in government, political parties, civil society, the academe, media, and grassroots organizations to take appropriate action to reclaim lost or damaged democratic spaces;

Now, therefore, we, the delegates of the 14th CALD General Assembly hereby resolve:

1. To adopt truth-telling and protection as an advocacy, and to implement programs and projects to this end;

2. To endeavor to address concerns relating to combating disinformation as individuals, organizations, or networks, particularly, but not limited to: (1) the digital infrastructure, (2) education, (3) culture and the arts, and (4) democratic institutions and processes; and

3. To open lines of communication amongst the participants and other interested players, and to reconvene to further discuss the issue, and report on concrete progress made by the actors.

This declaration is hereby adopted this 13th of November 2022 in Iloilo City, Philippines.