Cairo, Nov. 26 (Petra) The Council of Arab Ministers of Information on Wednesday called for continued support for the Palestinian cause in all its political, humanitarian and rights-based dimensions, foremost among them the issue of occupied Jerusalem.

The recommendations came as the Council concluded its 55th session at the Arab League headquarters, chaired by the Syrian Arab Republic and attended by the League’s Secretary-General, along with ministers, heads of delegations and observer media organisations.

The Council urged Arab media outlets to maintain comprehensive coverage of developments amid ongoing Israeli breaches of the Gaza truce and violations in the West Bank, condemning the targeting of Palestinian journalists as a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law.

It underscored the importance of promoting the Arab Media Honor Charter, as amended during the League’s 163rd session, and called for its broad dissemination and firm application across the Arab media landscape, highlighting its principles of integrity, accuracy, impartiality, and respect for member states’ sovereignty.

The Council adopted the Arab Strategy for Media and Information Literacy and the unified Arab plan for addressing environmental issues and sustainable development, aligned with the Arab Vision 2045 endorsed at the upcoming 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad in May 2025.

It welcomed the United Arab Emirates’ initiative to host a program on "Media Engineering in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," and tasked the Arab Electronic Media Committee with drafting an Arab model law to regulate digital media.

The Council stressed the need for robust and coordinated implementation of regional media plans, starting with strengthened media backing for the Palestinian cause, countering the Israeli narrative, highlighting Arab cultural identity, and continuing efforts to combat extremism and terrorism.

A team of experts was assigned to develop a comprehensive vision and timeline for implementing the interim phase of the Arab Media Strategy to Combat Terrorism, in cooperation with Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.

The Council also urged member states and media organisations to continue executing the Arab Media Map for Sustainable Development.

In efforts to finalise a unified Arab approach for negotiations with global media platforms, the Council encouraged the working group, in coordination with the Arab States Broadcasting Union, to expedite the development of this framework for submission at the next session.

Separately, the Council designated Rabat as the Arab Media Capital for 2026, Doha for 2027 and Damascus for 2028, emphasising that each year’s program should include a dedicated segment on Jerusalem and the city’s distinctive spiritual, cultural and architectural significance.

In line with its focus on thematic media issues, including children’s welfare, the Council endorsed the Arab Child Media Award a joint initiative of the Arab League’s Media and Social Affairs sectors, launched by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak of the UAE aimed at fostering creative content that serves children’s issues across the region.

On the sidelines of the session, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit honored Ahmad Assaf, the minister overseeing official media in the State of Palestine, in a strong gesture of solidarity with Palestinian media professionals. Certificates of appreciation and cash prizes, sponsored by Kuwait, were also presented to winners of the Arab Media Excellence Award across print, broadcast and digital categories.

//Petra// AF

26/11/2025 20:52:41