20/06/2023 - 21/06/2023
Mexico City/online – The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary of Mexico (Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación) held an international congress on effective political participation and fundamental rights entitled “Digital Technologies: Democracy and Regulation in Europe and America” in Mexico City and online. The main aim of the Congress was to develop further the ongoing debates on the regulatory process of digital technologies, social media, and artificial intelligence currently taking place in Europe and Latin America.
Up to 30 international speakers participated in the event, both on-site and virtually. Mongst invitees were members of the Venice Commission, including members of the Commission's Sub-Commission on Latin America, representatives of constitutional courts or electoral authorities, and experts in the field.
The two-day congress was organised around six panels covering the following topics:
1. Relationship between democratic integrity and the digital context in which democracy operates
2. Technologies available to the judiciary worldwide
3. Social media and disinformation in electoral processes: analysis of their use in political campaigns
4. Hate speech and violence: artificial intelligence and gender equality
5. What are digital technologies and in which areas of elections are they used?
6. Artificial intelligence: benefits and drawbacks of its use in political communication and propaganda
Judges from several judicial institutions of Latin American, court clerks, civil society organisations, academic personnel from research centres, representatives of international organisations, and electoral experts had the opportunity to discuss how recent technological developments have transformed the mechanisms of political participation and their positive and adverse impact on the electoral integrity and fundamental rights.
The President of the Venice Commission Claire Bazy-Malaurie and its Secretary, Director Simona Granata-Menghini together with several members and representatives of the Venice Commission participated in the event.