Representatives from the Strategic Communications Department of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia took part in the workshop ‘Disinformation During Utilization of Technologies in Elections and Its Management’.

Aiming at sharing best practices and international experience, the Head of the Electoral Service of Chile, Karen Victoria Ahues Echeverriahas, has been invited as an international expert. Ahues Echeverriahas provided the meeting participants with her expertise and recommendations regarding the crucial issues, such as disinformation and effective mechanisms for dealing with it.

As she highlighted, disinformation stands among the key challenges of the 21st century. In the very area, sharing the best practice and experience from various countries plays a crucial role in the advancement of electoral environment.

“As part of the meeting, I have witnessed how the Election Administration of Georgia deals with various challenges and what achievements they have in this regard. I consider that the efforts made by the CEC Strategic Communications Department is significantly crucial. They do it right, among others, in the field of combatting disinformation. The election administrations of Chile and Georgia face similar challenges and at the very meeting, I have spoken about our experience regarding finding solutions to those challenges and achievements. We have discussed to what extent the adaptation of our successful practice is possible in Georgia”, - said the expert.

On their part, representatives from the Information-Analytical Division of the Strategic Communications Department thoroughly spoke about the Election Administration of Georgia’s experience as well as challenges, pertaining to disinformation.

Following the workshops, Karen Victoria Ahues Echeverriahas met the CEC Chairperson, Giorgi Kalandarishvili. The parties covered the issues of deepening their cooperation.

“As part of the workshops, the representative of the Electoral Service of Chile shared the significant information to the CEC staff members, relating to the mechanisms and instruments which the Electoral Service of Chile applies for combatting disinformation and providing information to voters. It was definitely a crucial meeting, and I have elaborated on its results during the meeting with her. We have also covered the persistent experience in our countries in this area as well as the introduction of effective mechanisms through which voters will gain the precise and verified information”, - said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.