CIS MPs Approved Model Law Regulating Operation of Digital Media Resources

The IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Culture, Information, Tourism and Sport held a visiting session in Dushanbe.

MPs from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in the session of the Commission, which was held at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Chair of the Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Science, Education, Culture and Sport Erkin Zakhidov conducted the session. Chair of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Culture Polad Bulbuloghlu was elected his deputy.

The representatives of the parliaments of the Commonwealth countries were welcomed by Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Davron Safarzoda.

The CIS MPs reviewed and approved the draft Model Law on Electronic Communications in the Sphere of Digital Media Resources. The document deals with the work of platforms that are both messengers and sources of publicly available information at the same time.

The document regulates the ways of information exchange through electronic means, considers the use of technologies that can create “deepfakes” and “fake” news.

In addition, the developers specify ways to protect information that is available only to certain users, such as subscribers. The basic idea is to define what information is considered public and what information is protected as private correspondence.

Examples include “group chats,” closed channels, and other ways of sharing information between family members, friends, and employees of the same organization.

The participants of the session decided to request the IPA CIS Council to include the draft Model Law in the agenda of the next IPA CIS Plenary Session. After adoption by the Assembly, the Model Law will be sent to the national parliaments of the Commonwealth countries.

The MPs considered the draft the Model Law on Benevolence and Sponsorship (revised).

The revised Model Law deals with the use of digital technologies for resource mobilization, ways of interaction between participants of digital charity and their reporting.

Provisions have been introduced on the responsibility of charitable organizations for non-compliance with the terms of use of funds, including fines and liquidation of the organization in case of repeated violations.

Taking into account the comments and suggestions made, the final document will be presented at the next session.

The members of the Commission heard information about the draft Model Law on Protection of Children from Information Harmful to their Health and Well-Being (revised).

The drafters emphasized that since the adoption of the first version of the Law, objective changes have occurred: digital media and artificial intelligence technologies are developing, and the amount of digital content consumed by children is growing.

The drafter proposes to take into account traditional spiritual and moral values, including family values, when assessing information and content aimed at children.

According to the draft, the rule of free distribution without labeling for Internet content and fiction is excluded. The Law also establishes obligations for owners of information resources and portals. They must additionally inform users that the content was created using AI and about the processing of children’s personal data.

Another issue for discussion was the draft Model Law on Ensuring State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects on Water Bodies.

The Law emphasizes the need to prevent harmful effects of water on cultural heritage objects, both from natural and anthropogenic factors.

It was reported that special attention should be paid to the preservation of cultural property in water areas that are not only under the jurisdiction of the state, but also beyond its borders. The document proposes measures to protect such objects, and also imposes obligations on citizens of coastal states to prevent damage to cultural property in “common” water areas.

Secretary of the Commission Igor Minin told the audience about the roundtable dedicated to the Year of Volunteer Movement in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The event will be held on 21 November in conjunction with the meeting of the Youth Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS.

The participants of the roundtable will consider the practices of existing volunteer organizations and communities in the Commonwealth countries, as well as discuss the interaction of such organizations with the authorities.

The MPs were told how the documents adopted by the Assembly on the initiative of the Commission are used in the legislative activity of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The session was informed about the establishment of the International Association of Interpreters of the CIS countries.

Head of the Travel Hub “Commonwealth” project Alexander Artyomov told about the Travel Hub Forum. The event will be held on October 19-20 in Dushanbe and for the first time will be held in an offsite format. The main topics for discussion will be the development of tourism of mountainous areas in the Eurasian space, staffing of the hospitality industry of the CIS countries, challenges, opportunities and limitations of international tourism integration in modern conditions, international experience in ensuring tourism security and others.

Information about the Eurasian Rating Agency in the field of tourism and hospitality was presented by Director General of SHA International rating center, Head of Service and Hospitality Committee of the Eurasian Rating Agency (ERA) Alexander Rabinovich.

The ERA was created to provide the countries of the Union and their partners with objective and quality ratings, which are assigned on an international rating scale, as well as for the development of the economy and socio-cultural environment of the region.

This is necessary to strengthen international cooperation, provide data to investors, regulators, industry associations, trade organizations, national and cultural institutions of BRICS, SCO and other international unions.

The Commission discussed the issues of convergence of the CIS countries’ legislation in the field of tourism and the development of common standards for the provision of tourist services on the example of mountain resorts of the Eurasian Alliance. Details were announced by Deputy General Director of Rosa Khutor Mountain Resort for International Relations and Tourism, Representative of the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts Sergey Khvorostyan.

He said that the Alliance already includes mountain resorts of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. The most important task is to create a system of unified high quality standards of tourist services at the resorts of the Alliance. At the same time, the speaker emphasized, the alliance can act as a platform for working out the practical application of legislation on tourism and its development in specially protected natural areas.

The next session of the Commission is scheduled for March-May 2025.