Baghdad: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Iraq gathered over 30 representatives from civil society organizations, content creators, influencers, human rights defenders, and digital experts in central Baghdad. This meeting marked the initial steps toward establishing the “Civil Alliance for Social Communication,” as part of the “Social Communication for Peace” project, supported by the European Union.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the meeting aimed to create a civil alliance that would unify efforts in Iraq to address digital challenges. This initiative seeks to combine monitoring, awareness-raising, advocacy, and response efforts, providing a structured platform for stakeholders to coordinate on issues such as freedom of expression, digital rights, disinformation, hate speech, and digital safety.
Participants focused on essential pillars for building the alliance, such as formulating a shared vision, setting up a governance framework, membership criteria, decision-making processes, and defining roles and responsibilities. They reviewed proposed documents, including a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, and a joint action plan.
The discussions highlighted the importance of coalition membership based on active participation and value addition, rather than just formal representation. Considerations included geographical and institutional diversity, ensuring women’s and youth’s participation, and accommodating new digital actors like content creators and influencers.
Diaa Thabet, Head of the Communication and Information Sector at UNESCO Iraq, emphasized the initiative’s goal to transform diverse Iraqi initiatives into organized civil action. Thabet stated, “The digital environment has become too fast and complex for any single institution to handle alone,” underscoring the alliance’s potential to convert diverse expertise into collective action and impactful responses.
He further explained that the alliance aims to balance protecting rights and confronting digital threats, emphasizing evidence-based approaches aligned with international standards while considering Iraq’s unique context.
The meeting also explored potential collaborations between the anticipated alliance and national institutions, universities, media outlets, international organizations, and social media platforms. These collaborations aim to foster initiatives in monitoring, media literacy, digital safety, and protecting journalists and vulnerable groups, as well as examining algorithmic impacts on content.
The alliance’s development will continue with specialized meetings and dialogues to establish its structure, operational mechanisms, and priorities. This will enhance its national presence through partnerships, media events, advocacy programs, and stakeholder dialogue.
This initiative is part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support an Iraqi model for civic action in the digital space, focusing on knowledge production, coordinated response, and rights defense. The goal is to transform dialogue into sustainable collective efforts that promote peace and mitigate digital risks.