Baghdad: The Supreme Judicial Council hosted a pivotal meeting between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and various governmental, academic, and independent bodies to support the “Community Communication and Media for Peace” project. This initiative, funded by the European Union, aims to foster community peace and effective media usage in Iraq.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Judicial Development Institute facilitated discussions focusing on the project’s objectives and implementation strategies. Judge Amer Hassan, President of the Baghdad Karkh Court of Appeal, emphasized UNESCO’s commitment to promoting community peace and organizing media and information dissemination within Iraq. He highlighted the project’s roots in longstanding cooperation between the judiciary and UNESCO, aimed at combating media misinformation and increasing digital literacy.
Judge Hassan noted the establishment of publishing and media courts, developed in collaboration with U
NESCO, to train judges in media-related cases. These efforts have culminated in the Community Communication and Media for Peace project, which seeks to involve various institutions, professional unions, civil society organizations, and media professionals. The goal is to establish sound practices for using social media responsibly and preventing misuse.
UNESCO Iraq’s project officer, Dhiaa Thabet, outlined the project’s primary goals, which include forming a national team comprising government institutions and a civil alliance of social media activists. This team will work to enhance responsible media practices and promote peace-focused discourse. Thabet explained that the project arose from extensive meetings and a request by the Iraqi government and the Supreme Judicial Council. It aims to establish communication channels with global digital platforms to organize Iraq’s digital environment while preserving rights and freedoms.
Thabet also mentioned that the project will form a national team of government
bodies, academic institutions, and independent organizations, including the Communications and Media Commission and the Human Rights Commission. This team will conduct Iraq’s first international study on the negative impacts of social media, aiming to address the challenges posed by global digital platforms and support societal cohesion.
Major General Saad Maan, Head of the Security Media Cell, affirmed the project’s focus on leveraging social media to build sustainable peace in Iraq. He praised the initiative as a successful step by UNESCO in enhancing community peace and security through targeted use of digital platforms. Maan highlighted the involvement of the Security Media Cell and the Joint Operations Command in addressing legislative and cultural issues related to social media usage.
The project aims to open communication channels with global platforms to regulate freedom of expression on social media and digital platforms within Iraq. The meeting concluded with an agreement to implement the project,
emphasizing the role of the Iraqi judiciary in its success and legal framework reinforcement.