Arab League: Media Is Essential To Int'l Human Rights Framework

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) CAIRO, May 8 (KUNA) -- The Arab League emphasized that media is a key pillar in the internationally recognized human rights system due to its vital role in shaping individual and societal awareness, promoting peace, tolerance, and respect for cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity, in line with values and international laws.
This statement was made by Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector at the Arab League Ambassador Ahmad Khattabi, during the forum "The Role of Media in Promoting a Culture of Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence," held on Thursday by the League's media and communication sector.
The forum is part of the implementation of the cooperation protocol signed in 2024 in Cairo between the Arab League and the Union of Radio and Television of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Khattabi explained.
The forum's theme reflects both organizations' shared commitment to countering hate speech and rejecting violence, he said.
This commitment stems from their principles and support for UN objectives, related declarations, and General Assembly resolutions on interfaith dialogue and the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, he added.
Khattabi pointed to their joint efforts to stop the aggression, destruction, and starvation in Gaza caused by an ongoing war fueled by extremist Israeli occupation groups, which deliberately incite hatred and ignore humanitarian values and international law.
He called for an urgent awakening of the global conscience to immediately halt the killing and starvation in Gaza.
Khattabi also highlighted how the spread of social media has amplified both opportunities for freedom of expression and the misuse of these platforms to spread hate speech.
He stressed the need for collective action among governments, parliaments, civil society, educators, media, and religious leaders to counter this phenomenon through a comprehensive approach where media plays a central role.
Finally, he reiterated the Arab League's commitment, through Article 8 of its Charter, to promoting tolerance, pluralism, and brotherhood, while rejecting all forms of bias, discrimination, extremism, and incitement to hatred or violence. (end)
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