On the Global Media and Information Literacy Week, commemorated this year under the theme: “Nurturing trust – A Media and Information Literacy Imperative,” the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) calls for solidarity and joint action to make media and digital knowledge available in various fields, provide the needed resources to achieve this end, adhere to its principles, and develop new relevant initiatives, to contribute to achieving cultural sustainability, economic growth and social progress.

Given that media and information literacy is paramount to achieving trust, which is the binding element for social cohesion and social breakthroughs for the common good, ICESCO stresses the need to develop digital skills and enhance media knowledge in light of the widely spread misinformation and the technological revolution that the world is witnessing in the era of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and the metaverse. It is worth noting that the Organization has radically transformed its working mechanisms through the digitization of its departments and centers, and has called, along with other international organizations, for contribution to providing the necessary resources to support media and information literacy programmes in 2021.
Cognizant of the prominent role of education in spreading awareness of the importance of media literacy and building individual capacities to use modern technologies to access information and verify the factual accuracy of media news, ICESCO supports the efforts of its Member States in developing modern media literacy curricula that equip learners with the necessary skills to discern accurate information and critically evaluate media news, to enable them to benefit from purposeful digital content and avoid negative messages and misinformation.

ICESCO also contributes to promoting the creation of focused digital content, and introducing new generations to the luminaries of Islamic history, particularly in the fields of science, culture and thought, who left an indelible mark on human civilization, in addition to promoting the heritage sites and cultural goods inscribed on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
In a bid to support international efforts in building youth capacities in the fields of media and information and developing their digital skills to improve their integration into the ever-morphing labour market, ICESCO launched a wide array of programmes, projects and training sessions. These include the Young Professionals Program 2022, the Leadership Training in Peace and Security (LTIPS), a programme for training youth in creating and developing small projects in the field of technology and innovation, in addition to a training and capacity-building programme for journalists and media professionals in the Organization’s Member States, which equip youth with the necessary knowledge to harness the potential of modern technology.

ICESCO reiterates its readiness to join hands with all international organizations, agencies, or entities to launch and implement initiatives and programmes that are geared towards promoting media and information literacy in its Member States, thus contribute to addressing future challenges, eliminating media and digital illiteracy, and achieving sustainable development goals.