Schedule

Marie Bjerre, Minister for European Affairs, Denmark
Erica Gerretsen, Director of DG INTPA Directorate G “Human Development, Migration, Governance and Peace”, European Commission (online)
Henrik Fredborg Larsen, Director, UNDP Nordic Representation Office
Jesper Højberg, Executive Director, IMS

Opening Discussion (plenary session): Disinformation has become a political issue that erodes trust, weakens democratic institutions, and destabilizes societies. In this session, the Minister for European Affairs of Denmark takes the stage to discuss how governments can craft policies and safeguard information integrity as a foundation for resilient, democratic societies.

Marie Bjerre, Minister for European Affairs, Denmark

Moderator: Thomas Hughes, CEO Appeals Centre Europe

Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner, Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection (Ireland)

Panel discussion (plenary session): This panel dives into the high-stakes clash between technology’s power to connect and its potential to polarise. What are the solutions, locally and globally that can help us re-think how digital democracy can be further developed and strengthened – and ensure that digital technologies become enablers of democracy, rather than tools that undermine it?

Maxence Melo Mubyazi, Executive Director, JamiiAfrica, founder JamiiForums
Jan Gerlach, Public Policy Director, Wikimedia Foundation
Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Netcompany, Co-Chair of the Business at OECD Digital Policy Committee
Paula Miraglia, Founder and CEO, Momentum – Journalism and Tech Task Force

Moderator: Guy Berger, Chair of IMS Board and former Director of Freedom of Expression and Media Development at UNESCO

Peter Pomerantsev, Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University Journalist and author of This is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality

Panel discussion (plenary session): In an era where falsehoods can spread faster than facts, how can societies build resilience against disinformation? This session dives into the long game – exploring if and how critical thinking, civic education, innovative media platforms and widespread media literacy could offer solutions and become society’s best defence in strengthening information integrity.

Leo Pekkala, Deputy Director, Head of Media Education and Audiovisual Media Department at KAVI
Wanjiru Nguhi, Project Manager, Baraza Media Lab
Mandeep Tiwana, Secretary General, CIVICUS
Roman Shutov, Strategic Adviser, IMS

Moderator: Andrea Liebman, Senior Analyst, Swedish Psychological Defence Agency

Solution Labs (parallel tracks): Disinformation is often weaponised to stigmatise and silence underrepresented communities both online and offline. This breakout session will explore how grassroots movements, civil society organisations and independent media are reclaiming digital spaces through community-led strategies. Panellists will discuss practical approaches to resilience building and explore strategies to counter these harmful tactics and strengthen information integrity.

Track 1: Gendered disinformation

This session explores the mechanisms and impacts of gendered disinformation, showcase community-led strategies for reclaiming digital spaces and building resilience and discuss practical approaches and digital tools for countering gendered disinformation.

Marija Cosic, Deputy Editor-in-chief, Raskrinkavanje
Virginia Bolatti, Institutional Coordinator, Fondo de Mujeres del Sur
Olga Yurkova, Journalist and Co-founder of StopFake.org

Moderator: Leah Kimathi, Executive Director, Council for Responsible Social Media

Track 2: Climate disinformation

False and harmful information related to climate change is a rapidly growing threat, undermining public understanding and effective climate action worldwide. On a global level, the stakes are especially high: activists, journalists and community leaders who speak out against environmental destruction and climate injustice often face harassment, intimidation and criminalisation for their work. Weaponised narratives and hate speech are amplified by digital platforms and social media algorithms, distorting scientific facts, eroding trust, fuelling doubt and deepening polarisation.

Leyla Mohamed, Radio Ergo
Samm Farai Monro, Creative Director, Magamba
Yan Naung Oak, Founder, Thibi

Moderator: Alejandro Mayoral Baños, Executive Director, Access Now

Track 3: Empowering youth

Through an engaging conversation blending activism, media innovation and humour, this session explores how youth-driven strategies are shaping a more inclusive and informed information ecosystem. From creative content production to community organising and cross-sector collaboration, the panellists share practical approaches for empowering the next generation to lead with integrity and impact.

Jen Aquino, Managing Director, Probe Productions
Mark Averilla (Artist name: Macoy Dubs) Content Creator and comedian working in partnership with Probe Productions
Bank Vath, Programme and DEI Manager of Media4Impact-Prosob Initiative, Impact Hub Phnom Penh
Christine Ravn Lund, Chairwoman, Danish Youth Council

Moderator: Nkemakonam Agunwa, Programme Manager, Africa, Witness

Solution Labs (plenary session): The three moderators of the solution labs will share the most powerful insights and innovative solutions and responses that emerged from the sessions. Concrete strategies, actionable solutions and opportunities that can foster information integrity.

Leah Kimathi, Executive Director, Council for Responsible Social Media
Alejandro Mayoral Baño, Executive Director, Access Now
Nkemakonam Agunwa, Programme Manager, Africa, Witness

Moderators: Roman Shutov, Strategic Adviser, IMS and Vanessa Chong, Programme Manager, IMS

Mette Thygesen, International Director, the Danish Institute for Human Rights

Roman Shutov, Strategic Adviser, IMS and Vanessa Chong, Programme Manager, IMS

Panel discussion (plenary session): In an era where disinformation threatens not only public trust, but also the sustainability of independent media, this session explores how media viability is essential for safeguarding information integrity and democratic resilience. We will discuss the economic and technological challenges facing media outlets and highlight innovative strategies – such as diversified revenue models, digital infrastructure and collaborative initiatives – that enable media organisations to give their communities a voice and continue delivering accurate, public-interest journalism. The conversation will stimulate new perspectives for funding, financing and investment in media. We will emphasise why supporting media viability is a cornerstone for countering disinformation and fostering resilient societies.

Lydia Namubiru, Editor, the Continent
Premesh Chandran, Co-founder, Malaysiakini
Julie Posetti, Chair of the Centre for Journalism and Democracy, Professor at Journalism at City, University London
Shubhranshu Choudhary, Founder, CGNet Swara

Moderator: Clare Cook, Head of Journalism and Media Viability, IMS (International Media Support)

Interview session (plenary session): What are the challenges, responsibilities and ethical dilemmas of reporting during crises and (hybrid) warfare. The session with explore the impact of disinformation and the strategies for maintaining journalistic integrity when it matters most and discuss the vital role of the media in upholding truth and fostering resilience in turbulent times.

Mariya Frey, Member of the Management Board, Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine
Tesfalem Waldyes, Editor-in-Chief, Ethiopia Insider
Nadim Nashif, Founder and General Director, 7amleh

Moderator: Ranga Kalansooriya, Regional Adviser, Asia Department, IMS

Panel discussion (plenary session): Artificial intelligence is never neutral. It can be used to create false content, manipulate algorithms and amplify harmful narratives – undermining trust and dividing societies. At the same time, AI offers tools to detect disinformation, support public-interest journalism and make newsroom work more efficient. This panel will bring together experts and practitioners to examine both sides of the AI equation.

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, Denmark’s Tech Ambassador
Sam Gregory, Executive Director, Witness
Ksenia Iliuk, COO and Co-founder, LetsData
Justin Arenstein, Co-founder and CEO, Code for Africa
Paul McNally, Founder, DevelopAI

Moderator: Andrea Cairola, Adviser for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, UNESCO

Esther Mwema, Award-winning artist and expert on digital issues

Parallel tracks:

Track 1: Fostering an enabling legal environment (Pacific lounge)

How can we create a legal environment that truly supports media freedom and information integrity? The session will explore the opportunities and risks presented by laws, including the potential for misuse or insufficient safeguards that could threaten media independence and pluralism. Panellists will discuss how civil society, policymakers and international actors can collaborate to prevent abuse and ensure that legal frameworks genuinely foster an open, resilient media landscape.

Maksym Dvorovyi, Head of Digital Rights, Digital Security Lab Ukraine
Gaston Wright, Director, Civic Compass
Lubos Kuklis, Expert on Digital & New Media Governance, EU Commission’s DSA Team

Moderator: Nieves Molina-Clemente, Chief Advisor, Transitional Justice and Accountability, Danish Institute for Human Rights

Track 2: Protecting democracy: tackling disinformation in elections (Auditorium)

Disinformation poses a growing threat to the integrity of elections worldwide. This panel brings together experts to explore and discuss practical solutions and present strategies for responding to false narratives and manipulated content during electoral cycles. What are the most effective countering responses ahead of and during elections and where do we go from here?

Nkem Agunwa, Programme Manager, Africa, Witness
James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre
Rufin Zamfir, Moldovan Media Information Integrity and Democracy Programme (M-MIIND)
Emanuele Sapienza, Global Lead, Open and Inclusive Public Sphere, UNDP

Moderator: Mira Milosevic, Executive Director, Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)

Track 3: Stronger together: scaling civic platforms to defend open societies (Atlantic lounge)

Across the world, communities are showing that the best response to disinformation is building stronger public-interest technology. This session gathers innovators creating platforms, newsrooms and civic tools that strengthen trust and participation instead of exploiting attention. Join us to explore how these local successes can scale to form a “global digital commons” that upholds open, democratic societies.

Maxence Melo, Executive Director, JamiiAfrica, founder JamiiForums
Shubhranshu Choudhary, Founder, CGNet Swar
Rishad Patel, Co-founder, Splice Media
Babette Ngene, Public Interest Technology Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation

Moderator: Magnus Ag, Head of Public Interest Tech, IMS

Plenary session:

Building on the discussions and suggested scalable solutions developed during the conference, this panel will reflect and discuss how these can be carried forward. How can the Copenhagen Conference on Information Integrity sustain momentum beyond November? By fostering partnerships, support scalable and actionable solutions and approaches strengthening and safeguarding information integrity.

Yan Naung Oak, Founder, Thibi
Mira Milosevic, Executive Director, Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
Leah Kimathi, Executive Director, Council for Responsible Social Media
Sam Gregory, Executive Director, Witness

Moderators: Jesper Højberg, Executive Director, IMS and Esben Harboe, Regional Director, Africa, IMS