Panama

The expected outputs of this contract are as follows:

• Knowledge based products (analysis and studies) on policy and the legal frameworks pertaining to media regulation (including digital space), press freedom, journalists’ protection, and other related topics in the ADD countries are produced;
• Policy and technical expertise and mentoring is provided for the design and development of policy and legal frameworks pertaining to media regulation (including digital space), press freedom, journalists’ protection, and other related topics, in line with international standards and in respect of fundamental human rights;
• Research and knowledge based products on information environments, including among others stakeholder analyses, media sectoral political economy and ownership monitoring analyses, media consumption analyses, information and communication trends, vulnerabilities and opportunities are produced;
• Knowledge based products (analysis and studies) on monitoring of (foreign and domestic) information manipulation trends on traditional and online media, notably on narratives, tactics, techniques and impact, including through media monitoring, data analyses, investigative journalism, etc. are produced;
• Strengthened capacity of state and non-state (civil society, media, private sector, etc.) actors, on information manipulation (foreign and domestic) analytical methods including narratives, tactics, techniques and impact;
• Strengthened capacity of independent media actors to investigate, report, publish/broadcast fact based information;
• Strengthened capacity of fact-checking organisations to enhance their analytical, detection, debunking and communication work on disinformation campaigns;
• Strengthened capacity of civil society organisations to conduct Media and Information Literacy activities to broader public and to targeted stakeholders;
• Enhanced experience sharing, lessons learning within each focus country and across countries and actors from the region.

The purpose of the Election Expert Mission (EEM) was to collect and analyse factual information, assess and report on the electoral process against international commitments, standards and good practice for democratic elections in line with the criteria contained in the Commission Communication on Electoral Assistance and Observation [COM(2000)191]. The experts also formulated recommendations to improve future electoral processes and assess, when relevant, the state of implementation of recommendations made by previous electoral missions.

For the purpose of the EEM, the experts paid a specific attention to the elections of the President and Vice-President and the members of the National Assembly.