The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the O.I.C States Broadcasting Union (OSBU) announced the launch of the Green Media Declaration and the Mediathon Competition today, Wednesday, December 4, 2024, during the COP16 conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These initiatives aim to establish a practical framework for media’s role in responding to the global climate crisis, empowering journalists and media professionals to promote environmental awareness while adhering to the highest ethical and professional standards.

The announcement was made by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Amr El Leithy, OSBU President, during a session titled “Role of Green Media in Fostering Efforts to Protect the Earth and Harmonize Biodiversity”. The session was held at ICESCO’s pavilion in the Blue Zone during COP16.

Dr. AlMalik emphasized ICESCO’s commitment to placing environmental protection at the core of its priorities through initiatives and programs addressing climate change challenges. He noted that the Green Media Declaration and the Mediathon reflect ICESCO’s strategic vision of leveraging media as an effective tool for education, awareness, and collective action.

At the end of his address, he expressed profound gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s leadership, government, and people, for successfully hosting and organizing COP16, highlighting the Kingdom’s leading role in addressing global environmental challenges.

Dr. El Leithy underscored the significance of these two initiatives as a clear reflection of ICESCO and OSBU’s shared commitment to advancing climate action through joint efforts. He highlighted the pivotal role of environmental media in fostering awareness and enhancing community participation.
Dr. El Leithy emphasized the importance of these two initiatives as a clear reflection of ICESCO and OSBU’s shared commitment to advancing climate action through collaborative efforts. He underscored the critical role of environmental media in raising awareness and driving active community engagement.

At the end of the session, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. El Leithy signed the Green Media Declaration, which outlines fundamental principles and commitments to enhance media’s capacity in responding effectively to the climate crisis. Key themes of the Declaration include:

• Media as a vital player in climate action.
• Ensuring transparency and public access to climate-related information.
• Protecting journalists and media professionals working in environmental reporting.
• Combating misinformation related to climate issues.

In addition, the Mediathon aims to encourage innovation in digital media by developing new platforms and tools for environmental communication, promoting sustainable journalism and environmental narratives, advocating for green and sustainable technology, and launching creative media projects to raise public awareness about climate change.