Beirut: In a strategic step towards combating disinformation and hate speech in Lebanon, UNESCO signed a Tripartite Partnership Agreement under the leadership of the Ministry of Information with the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). The signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Ziad Al Makary, Minister of Information in Lebanon, Costanza Farina, Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Beirut, and L©von Amirjanyan, Repr©sentant de l'OIF pour le Moyen-Orient. This partnership leverages the expertise of all parties to increase critical thinking among the public, drawing on best practices to promote media and information literacy in the context of crisis.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, a large-scale media campaign across TV channels and social media platforms will be launched to raise public awareness on critical thinking and depicting fake news and disinformation. Capacity development actions will be taken to enhance the competencies of a core team of journalists and reporters from the National News Agency on fact-checking and video reporting. The necessary equipment will also be provided to support these efforts.
This initiative contributes to the UNESCO Action Plan for the Emergency Response for Lebanon for the strategic objective related to media, and within the framework of OIF's program on the prevention and fight against disinformation. Minister Makary expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, emphasizing that its impacts will become evident soon. He highlighted the importance of promoting a culture of combating fake news among all journalists in Lebanon to prevent its spread across media outlets.
Costanza Farina, Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Beirut, reiterated UNESCO's commitment to supporting freedom of expression, access to information, and combating disinformation as part of a broader engagement in Lebanon to foster a conducive media landscape. She praised the longstanding strategic partnership with OIF, under the Minister's leadership, for yielding concrete actions during these crucial times for Lebanon.
L©von Amirjanyan, Repr©sentant de l'OIF pour le Moyen-Orient, stressed the necessity of combining efforts and expertise to support the Ministry in strengthening its resilience against disinformation and hate speech. He noted the urgency of the response required and framed the project within the OIF's 'Solidarity for Lebanon' action plan.
Through this strategic partnership, UNESCO, OIF, and the Ministry of Information aim to significantly contribute to a safer and more informed media landscape in Lebanon.