The Government Chancellor has pointed out that these training sessions not only hold significant practical value but also reaffirm Lithuania’s role as a leader in countering disinformation. ‘We are proud to be recognized internationally as a centre of expertise and capability in this field,’ said Giedrė Balčytytė.
As democracies work to protect themselves and the rules-based world order from authoritarian pressure, we must be able to identify the tools and tactics hostile regimes use against us, including disinformation and propaganda. Given Lithuania’s geographical proximity to authoritarian regimes, Chancellor Balčytytė believes the choice of Vilnius for this joint OECD and Lithuanian training is both fitting and encouraging.
‘Authoritarian regimes collaborate closely, and we must do the same—to better recognize and counter threats. Disinformation does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of the aggressor’s arsenal, alongside cyber and kinetic attacks, amplifying the challenges we face. Therefore, I believe that meetings and sessions like this should become a regular aspect of our partnerships, helping to ensure greater safety for ourselves and contributing to a safer world for all.’
Lithuania boasts of extensive experience not only in countering disinformation but also in sharing its expertise with partner countries, which, according to Giedrė Balčytytė, is a strength that should become a collective advantage for the democratic world, especially in the face of increasingly aggressive authoritarian regimes.
This is the second round of Lithuania-OECD resilience and countering disinformation training, aimed at exchanging knowledge and experience in identifying disinformation and selecting effective countermeasures.
The training programme features presentations on Lithuania’s experience in combating disinformation, its institutional model for coordinating information integrity, and cooperation with non-governmental organizations. Participants also have the opportunity to share their experiences in these areas. As regards practical skills in countering disinformation, the training includes tabletop exercises simulating disinformation attacks against the state.
The resilience and countering disinformation training programme was launched on 12 April 2024 under the cooperation agreement between Lithuania and the OECD. The programme is implemented through a virtual centre of excellence run by Lithuania, where experts from OECD, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa have access to training and seminars on protection against interference in democratic processes by aggressor countries and sharing best practices in countering disinformation.
Following the signing of the Agreement, the National Crisis Management Centre, designated as the implementing agency on the Lithuanian side, ensures the administration of activities, mobilizes expertise, and organizes training and seminars. For its part, the OECD identifies potential areas for training, offers experts from OECD and non-OECD countries the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and competences within the framework of the programme, summarises the lessons learned during the training programme and follows up on them.
Lithuania is a leading country among OECD members in the field of countering disinformation. Since early July, the country has implemented an inter-institutional, consolidated disinformation monitoring and analysis model involving 11 institutions dedicated to this cause.