Statement by Letisha Lunin, UK Spokesperson & Counsellor, at the UN Fourth Committee on Information Integrity.
I thank the Department of Global Communications, under the leadership of Under-Secretary-General Fleming, for its work, including on the UN's Global Principles for Information Integrity, which we are proud to support.
For the world to come together to tackle global challenges, we rely on accurate information.
There is no hope for peace if the facts of conflict are obscured.
There can be no justice if the facts necessary to ensure accountability are manipulated.
The UK is deeply concerned by the growing threats to information integrity, fueled by artificial intelligence, distorting truth, sowing division and exacerbating tensions.
The World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report for 2025 identifies the spread of misinformation and disinformation as the most severe global risk to international peace and security over the next two years.
I will make three points:
First, Member States have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the United Nations as a source of trusted information.
Since their illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used the Security Council as a platform for disinformation.
Russia recently called a Security Council meeting on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, to present themselves as champions of the Charter, while accusing others of "open interference."
The hypocrisy of this allegation is of course that Russia's illegal war in Ukraine is a manifest violation of the UN Charter and a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both of which are enshrined in the UN Charter.
The UK and our Allies stand firm in our commitment to Ukraine and to the integrity of the multilateral system. We will not allow Russia's deception to be normalised.
The UK will continue to expose Russian disinformation, support Ukraine and protect the integrity of the UN as a trusted source of information. This includes exposing and sanctioning the Russian state-funded Social Design Agency, whose purpose is to spread false social media content to mask the truth about Russia's illegal invasion in Ukraine.
Second, we have a responsibility to tackle disinformation which undermines the UN's core mission to protect peace and security
We remain very concerned by disinformation about UN Peacekeeping operations in the field. This year, 76% of peacekeepers, surveyed by the UN Department of Peace Operations, reported that misinformation and disinformation had a moderate to severe effect on their safety and security when carrying out their lifesaving work.
The UK is proud to support the United Nations Addressing Mis-and-Disinformation and Hate Speech project contributing $197,000 this financial year. And supporting the Peacekeeping Operations Training Institute, providing $164,000 to support training and resources for peace operations.
The UK will defend information integrity. Our Online Safety Act requires companies to crack down on illegal disinformation and remove harmful content from their platforms. We continue to work with our closest allies, including through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, to expose and disrupt foreign information operations globally.
Thirdly, we must act to protect independent journalism.
Media freedom is essential for a democratic and just society. But in many parts of the world, it is under threat. According to data collected by UNESCO, in the last 20 years, over 1,800 journalists have been killed worldwide- with close to 9 out of 10 cases of these killings remaining judicially unresolved.
More journalists were killed last year than in any other year since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began collecting data more than three decades ago - making it the deadliest year on record.
Gaza has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists and media workers. In Sudan, journalists are both witnessing and becoming victim to the horrors of Sudan's war.
Journalists covering conflicts must be afforded protection, in line with international humanitarian law. We call for all attacks against media workers to be investigated, and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.
The UK remains a committed advocate for journalist safety and protection as a co-founder of the Media Freedom Coalition.
As the threat of misinformation and disinformation grows, so too must our resolve. It is essential that people have access to information they can trust.
Finally, the UK will continue to proudly support multilingualism, the Global Digital Compact, and our collective efforts to close the digital divide. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence can be harnessed for good, including to support the Sustainable Development Goals, but only if we take an inclusive approach.
