Trust, Truth, and Transparency: Reinforcing Global Accountability
In a world marked by polarization, disinformation, and growing mistrust in institutions, the pillars of trust, truth, and transparency have never been more vital. From Europe to America, recent events highlight this urgency: corruption scandals and opaque decision-making have shaken confidence in democratic institutions, while disinformation campaigns continue to blur the line between fact and fiction. Citizens increasingly question whether their leaders act in the public interest, and allies debate the reliability of long-standing partnerships. At ISB MUN 2026, we invite delegates to examine how accountability can be reinforced, how transparency can restore public faith, and how truth can prevail in a world too often clouded by doubt.
Trust
Across Europe, trust in democracy is declining. Recent studies show that in countries such as Spain and France, only about half of young people still believe that democracy is the best form of government (Cole, 2025). In many European countries, rising political polarization and dissatisfaction with traditional parties have created a climate of grievances and mistrust. From debates over stricter immigration policies in Germany and Italy to the increase in votes for Austria’s Freedom Party, a party with historical ties to former Nazis (Kirby, 2024), there are signs that many people are slowly losing hope in democratic institutions.
Truth
We live in a world where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish fake news from the truth. Now, misinformation has become a means of political populism. In the summer of 2024, the U.K. experienced anti-immigration riots that swept across the country. These protests, which required thousands of officers and left millions of immigrants fearing for their lives, were actually sparked by a false report that the suspect in the tragic stabbing of three young girls in Southport was a Muslim asylum seeker (Sardarizadeh, 2024). Over the past decade, misinformation has systematically weakened democracy, endangered multicultural societies, and even redefined the very meaning of what democracy stands for.
Transparency
Transparency is the capacity of outsiders to obtain valid and timely information about the activities of government or private organizations (Britannica, n.d). Based on this definition, it is clear that transparency lies at the core of both trust and truth. Put differently, it is the means through which citizens can access and assess the fundamental evidence needed to judge political realities. At the same time, transparency serves as a fundamental symbol of trust from our leaders to us.
A pertinent example of the importance of transparency is the case involving European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. During the COVID-19 pandemic, von der Leyen and Bourla reportedly exchanged text messages regarding vaccine procurement negotiations. However, when a journalist requested access to these messages, the European Commission claimed that they were not subject to transparency regulations. This led to a legal challenge, and in May 2025, the EU's General Court ruled that the Commission had failed to justify its refusal to release the texts (Chee & Kar-Gupta, 2025). This case underscores how a lack of transparency can undermine public trust and the perception of truth in political processes.
In this ISB MUN edition, try to emphasizes how transparency is essential for reinforcing accountability worldwide, and encorage deleagtes delegates to explore its role in promoting trustworthy and truthful governance.
n and dissatisfaction with traditional parties have created a climate of grievances and mistrust. From debates over stricter immigration policies in Germany and Italy to the increase in votes for Austria’s Freedom Party, a party with historical ties to former Nazis (Kirby, 2024), there are signs that many people are slowly losing hope in democratic institutions.
Chee, F.Y. and Kar-Gupta, S. (2025) EU court annuls rejection of bid for EU’s von der leyen vaccine messages with pfizer by Reuters, Reuters. Available at: https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/eu-court-annuls-rejection-of-bid-for-eus-von-der-leyen-vaccine-messages-with-pfizer-4043953 (Accessed: 20 September 2025).
Cole, D. (2025) Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/04/young-europeans-losing-faith-in-democracy-poll-finds (Accessed: 20 September 2025).
Kirby, P. (2024) Austrian election: Kickl’s far right ‘opens New Era’ with unprecedented victory, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rdygy5888o (Accessed: 20 September 2025).
Michael Johnston Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science Emeritus, C.University.H. contribution to S.P.E. of G. (2007) formed the basis of his contributions... (no date) Transparency, Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/transparency-government (Accessed: 20 September 2025).
Sardarizadeh, E.T.& S. (2024) Southport Riot: How a LinkedIn Post helped Spark Unrest, BBC tracks its spread. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99v90813j5o (Accessed: 20 September 2025).