Internationally Renowned Experts Join Steering Committee of the International Observatory on Information and Democracy

Paris, 15 September 2023 – On International Day for Democracy, the International Observatory on Information and Democracy (OID) announces the appointment of 19 prominent leaders in policy, research and academia to its Steering Committee. This dynamic group of thought leaders represents diverse geographies and disciplines, encompassing fields as wide-ranging as political science, ethics, journalism, engineering, anthropology, economics and data science.

This distinguished group will oversee the process of completing an authoritative report evaluating and synthesising scientific contributions related to the challenges we face in the information ecosystem. This includes selecting initial priority themes for the first cycle of thematic evaluation reports, guiding relevant working groups and ensuring rigorous scientific standards.

Following a global call for nominations that returned over 100 applications from all over the world, 19 top policy and academic experts have been selected by the Observatory’s prefiguration group, co-chaired by Shoshana Zuboff, Emeritus Professor at the Harvard Business School, and Angel Gurría, former Secretary General of the Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Steering Committee composition has been validated by the Board of the Forum on Information and Democracy which oversees the Observatory’s work.

“The Forum on Information and Democracy deeply appreciates the dedication of these renowned global experts for offering their time, skills and expertise to the Observatory’s inaugural research cycle,” said Christophe Deloire, Chair of the Forum on Information and Democracy. “This Steering Committee’s leadership is essential to achieving the Observatory’s mission and executing its mandate – which is to provide a robust scientific foundation for a common understanding of the structure of the information and communication space, its impact on democracy, and to inform more evidence-based policy decisions.”

The Observatory’s work on information and democracy is equivalent to the IPCC for climate change, and just as urgent – as underscored by the generous commitment from this globally eminent group of thought leaders. Their work as Steering Committee members will be critical in establishing a robust, scientific foundation for understanding the impact of new technologies and behaviours on democratic governance and institutions. The Observatory supports  the Partnership on Information and Democracy – currently with 51 state signatories – and will influence global policy decisions and the pursuit of  solutions to democracy’s pressing challenges in the information ecosystem.

The Steering Committee’s first report is set to be published within 12 months.

The group of 19 renowned experts appointed to the Steering Committee includes (in alphabetical order):

Source: https://informationdemocracy.org/2023/09/15/19-internationally-renowned-experts-join-steering-committee-of-the-international-observatory-on-information-and-democracy/