By Augustine Bamie Anthony, Strategic Communications, Media Monitoring Adviser, MOICE
The International Conference of Information Commissioners and International Day for Universal Access to Information 2026, now underway at the Julius Maada Bio (JMB) International Conference Center in Lungi, is providing Sierra Leone with a timely platform to deepen national and global reflection on the relationship between truth, freedom and civic responsibility.
The event has convened information commissioners, government leaders, UNESCO representatives, journalists, activists, civil society actors and other stakeholders from 41 countries to consider the opportunities and risks emerging from artificial intelligence, digital communication, misinformation and increasingly convincing falsehoods.
Welcoming participants, Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, called for collective action to defend the public’s right to know, protect individual rights and build a society where truth can be tested and trusted without closing democratic space.
Minister Chernor Bah said the conference comes at a critical time, when more people have the means to publish, share and comment on information than at any other point in history. Radio, television, newspapers and community media now operate alongside websites, social-media platforms, podcasts, messaging applications and other digital channels.
This growth, Minister Chernor Bah noted, has widened participation in public life. Citizens who once depended entirely on traditional media can now contribute directly to national conversations. Young people can communicate their views, communities can raise concerns and public institutions can reach people more quickly.
Yet Minister Chernor Bah warned that the same tools can be used to spread harmful falsehoods, misinformation, incitement and manipulated material. Artificial intelligence can generate text, images, audio and video that appear credible but may be inaccurate or entirely fabricated.
This changing environment makes media literacy, professional journalism and responsible public communication more important than ever.
Under the leadership of President Dr Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone has made significant progress in broadening democratic space. The repeal of criminal libel laws remains a landmark reform that has strengthened the environment for journalism, free expression and public scrutiny.
Minister Chernor Bah said the reform has sent a strong signal that journalists and citizens should have the freedom to ask questions, raise concerns and hold institutions accountable. At the same time, Minister Chernor Bah stressed that freedom must be exercised with professionalism, fairness, accuracy and respect for the rights of others.
Journalists have a duty to verify information before publication, distinguish facts from opinion and provide fair, balanced and responsible reporting. Public institutions must communicate openly, accurately and promptly, particularly when misinformation threatens public confidence. Citizens must also learn to question the information they encounter online before accepting or sharing it.
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, said the Ministry has a central role in advancing this culture of responsible citizenship. Through civic education, strategic public communication and sustained community engagement, the Ministry can help Sierra Leoneans understand their rights and responsibilities in the information age.
Minister Chernor Bah said the Ministry will continue to promote awareness of the dangers of misinformation, encourage citizens to rely on credible sources and support constructive national dialogue. In a democracy, disagreement is normal and healthy. However, disagreement must be informed by facts, guided by respect and expressed without incitement or harm.
The work of the Right to Access to Information Commission is equally important. Minister Chernor Bah noted that access to information gives citizens, journalists and civil society groups a lawful means to verify public claims and seek authoritative records. When people can obtain reliable information from public institutions, they are less likely to depend on rumours and manipulated narratives.
The conference offers Sierra Leone an opportunity to learn from the experience of other countries while contributing its own perspective to global debates on freedom, technology, information rights and public trust.
Minister Chernor Bah has called for the conference to generate a Freetown Declaration that can guide collective action on these issues. The declaration should reaffirm the importance of protecting access to information, promoting media literacy, strengthening trustworthy institutions and defending democratic space.
As discussions continue at the JMB International Conference Center, Sierra Leone is demonstrating that freedom and responsibility must go together. The country’s future depends on citizens who can speak freely, journalists who report responsibly, institutions that communicate openly and a society that values truth above manipulation.
