UNESCO: Establishing a national coalition of social communication in Iraq

INA - BAGHDAD

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO announced on Friday the start of the steps to establish a national coalition of social communication in Iraq.

"In a conscious response to the urgent national needs in the field of digital communication, UNESCO in Iraq began serious steps towards establishing a national coalition of social communication, through a series of workshops and specialized training, within the framework of a project (social networking for peace) funded by the European Union," said the director of the UNESCO Communication and Information Program in Iraq, Diaa Al-Saray, to the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

Al-Saray pointed out that "this project comes to keep pace with the rapid developments in the digital space, as the global platforms have become a major square for societal interaction, which is used by more than 36 million Iraqis, most of whom are young. This calls for an organized approach to control the mechanisms of dealing with these spaces and securing a fair and influential presence of the Iraqi discourse within it." 

"The workshop witnessed the presence of various from different groups of society, which included specialists in social media, experts in the press and information, prominent youth activists in the digital field, in addition to representatives of government regulatory authorities and the head of the Deans of Media Colleges Board in Iraq," he noted.

He explained that "this diversity was not limited to professional backgrounds but also extended to reflect the geographical and social spectrum of Iraq, as representatives from most of the governorates and the Kurdistan region attended, as well as personalities from minorities and multiple social components." 

"The discussion focused on standards, requirements, tools, and mechanisms that should be followed to establish the alliance. The participants exchanged visions and proposals on the best models to establish it," he added, stressing "the need to accelerate the founding process as a vital response to the reality of digital needs in Iraq."

The director of the UNESCO Communication and Information Program in Iraq stated that “the attendees have agreed on the importance of the coalition to be a link between the Iraqi digital scene and the global platforms, in a manner that ensures the achievement of digital justice, a review of the content modification policies, and the confrontation of negative phenomena that arise from the uncontrolled use of these platforms.”

He stressed that “with this step, UNESCO sets the cornerstone of an ambitious project aimed at enabling Iraqi society to possess the tools of digital influence, establishing a safe and fair communication environment, which contributes to achieving peace and enhancing responsible speech in cyberspace."