The United Kingdom thanks the Department of Global Communications, under the leadership of Under-Secretary-General Fleming, for its impactful work, including on Information Integrity.
\n\nAs UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned at the General Assembly, we face an “industrial-scale assault by hostile actors” on our information environment, one that corrodes trust, fuels conflict and puts lives at risk.
\n\nAnd we know that artificial intelligence will multiply the threat of misinformation and disinformation: spreading it faster, targeting it more precisely and making false content harder to detect.
\n\nIn humanitarian crises, harmful information can undermine access to aid, shatter trust, fracture social cohesion and put staff in danger according to the IFRC’s World Disasters Report for 2026.
\n\nThe United Kingdom calls for action in three areas:
\n\nFirst, Member States must defend the integrity of the United Nations as a source of trusted information. Disinformation is being weaponised and targeted against all of us – not just by individuals, or groups, but by Member States of this organisation.
\n\nThe UK will continue to expose Russian disinformation. The Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion every year manipulating information.
\n\nThis involves utilising faceless online bot farms and troll networks to target democratic processes and spread disinformation at scale.
\n\nThat’s why the UK recently announced a package of 31 additional sanctions, specifically focused on Kremlin disinformation networks.
\n\nFurthermore, our Prime Minister has also announced the creation of a National Centre for Information Defence to detect and disrupt these kinds of hostile state information attacks, and to support and defend our democracy.
\n\nWe will use our experience to help others. For example, we have already supported Moldova to protect its elections from Russian interference.
\n\nAnd we will put AI at the heart of the UK’s G20 Presidency next year, working with partners to support delivering on the potential of AI for good, and dealing with the risks.
\n\nSecond, we must tackle disinformation that undermines the UN’s core mission to protect international peace and security.
\n\nDisinformation targeting UN peacekeeping is not harmless noise. It creates real world danger for peacekeepers, communities and the missions they serve. False and misleading narratives have incited violence, contributed to the loss of peacekeepers’ lives and led to the destruction of UN assets. Attacks on peacekeepers also cause lasting physical and psychological harm.
\n\nThe scale is stark: last year, 76% of peacekeepers, surveyed by the UN Department of Peace Operations, reported that misinformation and disinformation had a moderate to severe impact on their safety and security while carrying out lifesaving work.
\n\nThe UK continues to use its extra-budgetary funding to support projects to improve the safety and security of peacekeepers, including to support peacekeepers in tackling the threats posed by misinformation and disinformation through the provision of training and the development of technological tools and mechanisms to strengthen information integrity.
\n\nThirdly, we must protect independent journalism.
\n\nAs a co-founder of the Media Freedom Coalition, the United Kingdom remains a steadfast advocate for journalists’ safety and protection.
\n\nAccording to the Committee to Protect Journalists,129 journalists and media workers were killed in 2025, the deadliest year since CPJ began collecting data.
\n\nInternational humanitarian law protects reporters covering conflict. Yet, where a jacket marked “PRESS” once offered protection, it is now too often treated as a target.
\n\nEvery attack on a media worker must be investigated. Those responsible must be brought to justice in accordance with national and international law.
\n\nChair, misinformation and disinformation thrive when the truth is weakly defended. Our response must be stronger and more united.
\n\nWe must expose lies, protect those who report the truth and hold accountable those who weaponise deception.
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