Qatar, UNESCO launch Arabic version of freedom of expression report

Qatar and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday launched the Arabic version of the organization’s research report of the Broadband Commission on the “Freedom of Expression and Addressing Disinformation on the Internet,” which has been translated into Arabic with the support and funding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The launch of the Arabic version of the report, which is the first fully translated into a language other than English, coincides with the visit of Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay to Qatar.

Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, in partnership with Audrey Azoulay, chaired the broadband working group on disinformation and hate speech of UNESCO, which was tasked with preparing the report and following up on its implementation.

In a speech during the virtual session held on the occasion of launching the Arabic version of the report,  Acting Director of the Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashemi said that  Qatar believes in the right of Arab peoples to access facts and accurate information in their correct contexts without distortion, referring to Qatar’s well-known efforts in this regard since the 1990s.

He explained Qatar’s hope that the report will constitute an entry point for a broader understanding and discussion for academics, journalists, and the public about misleading information and ways to eliminate it.

Al Hashemi stressed that Qatar believes in the value of freedom of expression, as it is the solid foundation upon which open dialogue, critical thinking, and the press are built, adding that without it, nations cannot look at their conditions with the clarity and transparency required for self-review and progress. 

He also pointed out that believing in freedom of expression and preserving it does not mean using it as a cover for contempt for the beliefs of others and to spread hate speech, incitement, and exclusion. In addition, it does not mean in any way the dissemination of false and misleading information, he said.

The states, governments, and organizations need to protect and promote freedom of expression as a concept, value, and practice in civilized societies by clearing the misconceptions about this, he added. 

He hailed that the role played by UNESCO in this context and renewed Qatar’s support for it. He pointed out that the reluctance of many to obtain the vaccine due to the misleading information they read about it on the Internet.

The Acting Director of the Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the report indicates that there are more than 1,300 pages on Facebook followed by more than 100 million people who spread misinformation about the vaccine, considering that this misinformation limits the individual’s ability to make sound decisions.   He added that it also undermines global efforts to eradicate the COVID-19 virus and increases the chances of it mutating, which assures that ignorance is more deadly to nations than COVID-19 and its variants.

Al Hashemi congratulated UNESCO for launching the Arabic version of this important report, which comes at a time when the world is still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.