Council of Arab Media Ministers approves unified strategy for negotiating with international media companies

AMMAN — In its 53rd ordinary session held in the Moroccan capital Rabat, the Council of Arab Media Ministers on Wednesday approved the “Unified Arab Strategy for Dealing with International Media Companies”, which specifically focuses on social media platforms.

This comprehensive strategy was prepared by Jordan in response to the council’s request, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

In line with the recommendation put forth by the Government Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communications, Faisal Al Shboul, the council has given the green light to establish an Arab technical team tasked with negotiating with international media companies. 

Chaired by Jordan, the team will include representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Media Ministers and the Arab States Broadcasting Union, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The team is scheduled to convene its inaugural meeting in Amman next July, where they will develop a comprehensive work plan and negotiation framework.

This strategy, which garnered unanimous support from Arab committees during their discussions and evaluations, encompasses a strategic paper, a comprehensive vision and a unified Arab draft law aimed at regulating the operations of social media platforms, protecting Arab media institutions and safeguarding the interests of users. 

Additionally, it incorporates a draft Arab guidance law to counteract hate speech.