Media Center

Doha - Information Office - 9 December

The State of Qatar and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "UNESCO" launched today the Arabic version of the organization's research report of the Broadband Commission on "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 full translation into a language other than English, coincides with the visit made to the State of Qatar by Her Excellency Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Her Excellency Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, in partnership with Her Excellency Ms. Audrey Azoulay, chaired the UNESCO Broadband Working Group on Disinformation and Hate, which was tasked with preparing the report and following up on its implementation.

His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashemi, Acting Director of the Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a speech during the virtual session held on the occasion of launch of the Arabic version of the report, that the State of Qatar believes in the right of Arab peoples to access facts and accurate information in their correct contexts without distortion or disinformation. Noting Qatar’s efforts in this regard since the 1990s, which are well known to everyone, and there is no room to mention such efforts now.

He explained that Qatar's support for translating this report into Arabic comes in the context of its support for this Arab right. He expressed Qatar's hope that the report would constitute an entry point to a broadband understanding and discussion for academics, journalists and the public on disinformation and ways to eliminate it.

Al-Hashemi stressed that freedom of expression is a value we cherish and believe in, as it is the solid foundation upon which open dialogue, critical thinking and the press are based. He added, “Without it, nations cannot view their conditions with the clarity and transparency required for self-review and progress forward, and peoples have realized the importance of this value throughout the ages and fought to make it one of their rights.

He pointed out that believing in the freedom of expression and preservation it does not mean to consider it as a general given right without thinking about what it means. He stressed that it is a degradation to this value to make it a cover for the contempt of others’ beliefs and sanctities, and spreading rhetorical hate, incitement and exclusion. For sure, Freedom of expression does not mean in any way the dissemination of false and misleading information.

He added, "If we want to protect and promote freedom of expression as a concept, value and practice in the civilized societies, it is our duty as states, governments and organizations to purify this value from what degrades it, and here we commend the role played by UNESCO in this context and renew Qatar's support for it."

He pointed out that the non-vaccinated groups are a fertile environment for the spread of Covid-19 variants, as well as the reluctance of many to access the vaccine due to the disinformation they had read about it on the Internet.

He pointed out that the report indicates that there are more than 1,300 pages on Facebook being followed by more than 100 million people spreading disinformation about the vaccine.

He believed that this disinformation limits the individual's ability to make sound decisions that benefit him and his society, undermines, as well, global efforts to eliminate the Covid-19 virus and increases the chances of its mutation, which assures us that ignorance is more deadly to nations than Corona Virus and similar pandemics.

He congratulated UNESCO for launching the Arabic version of this important report, which comes at a time the world is still suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions on all vital sectors.