LJUBLJANA/VIENNA, 11 May 2026 – The International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES)[1], together with its partners — the International Scientific Journal European Perspectives, the Global Academy for Future Governance (GAFG), Diplo Foundation, and Diplomat Magazine — organized a high-level side event on 11 May 2026 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, on the occasion of the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting II: Safeguarding Civic Space in the Digital Age.
The event, entitled Digital Disruptions, Civic Space and Democratic Resilience: AI, Disinformation and Human Rights in the OSCE Area, gathered distinguished diplomats, scholars, civil society representatives, and technology experts to address the growing challenges posed by artificial intelligence, disinformation, and digital surveillance to democratic institutions and human rights throughout the OSCE region.
The conference featured two keynote addresses.
Vladimir I. Norov, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan (2006–2010, 2022), former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2019–2021), and Vice-Chairman of the IFIMES Advisory Board, offered strategic insights into multilateral cooperation and the responsibility of the international community in safeguarding the integrity of civic and information space.
Jovan Kurbalija, Founding Director of Diplo Foundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform, one of the pioneers of cyber diplomacy since 1992 and former Co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the UN High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, addressed the governance dimensions of digital transformation and the evolving architecture of internet governance within multilateral frameworks.
The discussion was further enriched by three distinguished panelists.
Harvey Dzodin, internationally recognized columnist, former Vice President of ABC Television Network, and former political appointee of Jimmy Carter, examined the growing challenges to integrity in civic space in the digital age, drawing on decades of experience at the intersection of law, media, and international affairs.
Kamila Zarychta-Romanowska, Professor at University of Warsaw and former Senior Legal and Political Advisor at the European Parliament, presented a compelling analysis of the structural tensions between technological development, societal realities, and legal responsibility.
Theodora Vounidi, co-founder of the Athens-based Balkan Youth Cooperation (BYC), focused on the role of young people not merely as vulnerable users, but as active co-creators of knowledge and agents of resilience within rapidly evolving information ecosystems. Drawing on practical experience from participatory youth initiatives, she highlighted the essay competition The Right to Analog Life, launched jointly by GAFG and BYC in 2025.
In the concluding intervention, Philipe Reinisch, Co-founder and Executive Officer of GAFG and former Director of Cyber Security Programs at Kuratorium Sicheres Österreich, addressed the nexus between media, artificial intelligence, and human rights in an era of accelerated digital transformation. His remarks were delivered on his behalf by Maren Liedtke.
The panel was moderated by Alice Ferrari (GAFG) and co-hosted by Anis H. Bajrektarevic.
The discussion was additionally enriched by interventions from participants attending both in person and online. Nora Wolf, Deputy Head of Mission at IFIMES Geneva, and Eileen Dong, IFIMES Representative to the United Nations in New York City, contributed perspectives based on the Institute’s engagement across multilateral fora.
Lily Ong, GAFG Assistant Director General for Asia from Singapore, presented a conceptual framework centred on three emerging archetypes reshaping the human dimension of security: digital trust, digital influence, and digital guardrails. She underscored the urgency of establishing robust regulatory architectures capable of preventing AI-driven hybrid warfare from eroding fundamental rights and democratic institutions.
Annelie Marchsteiner, GAFG officer and organizer of the European Youth Parliament, offered the perspective of a social educator on youth engagement, digital space, and civic participation.
Across all interventions, a clear and urgent consensus emerged: the digital transformation of civic space is no longer a future challenge, but a present-day reality, while the international community’s response remains structurally insufficient. Participants emphasized that technology is neither inherently protective nor inherently destructive; rather, its impact depends entirely on the political will, legal safeguards, institutional accountability, and civic capacities that societies choose to establish around it.
The International Institute IFIMES, which holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations and is an associated institution of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), reaffirmed its commitment to advancing evidence-based dialogue on the protection of human rights, media freedom, and democratic resilience in the digital age.
IFIMES and its partners remain committed to continued engagement with the OSCE and other international fora in promoting social responsibility in the digital era, with particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable social, geographic, and generational groups, as well as strengthening safeguards for those most at risk.
Ljubljana/Vienna, 11 May 2026
[1] IFIMES - International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC/UN in New York since 2018, and it is the publisher of the international scientific journal "European Perspectives." Available at: https://www.europeanperspectives.org/en
